To Catch the Wind
by wynteralchemyst
Summary: Post-canon. In the 13th year of the Meiji, 1880, Soujiro came to Tokyo. He was curious about the fate of Himura Kenshin, but to Tae, manager of the Akabeko, Soujiro represented a business opportunity. She could not know that from the first moment she saw him, her heart had already begun to break. These are the days that follow.
1. Early and Late

**A/N: Hello, there!**

**Well, there's no other way to put it - this story is weird. But it's one of those things where it wouldn't leave me alone, so here we are.**

**Shout-out to Ayezur, who not only is an extremely talented RuroKen author in her own right, but who actually nudged me into writing this down. **

**And also, Tae is a main character in this piece. Her name isn't in the list of people you can select as a protagonist (which is sort of sad), but she's going to be here nonetheless.**

**So, without further ado...**

* * *

**Prologue - Early and Late**

_-13th year of the Meiji. Mid-summer, 1880-_

Seta Soujiro considered himself to be many things these days, but above all, he was a pragmatist.

The sun was nearly directly overhead. Soujiro pushed his thumb across his forehead, smearing the trickles of sweat. His hair was stuck to his skin - _gross_. Midday in any other season was tolerable - almost enjoyable to be outdoors. But it was July, so the heavy humidity combined with the heat made it nearly unbearable to be simply _walking _outside in such atrocious weather.

However... He stuck his hand in his pocket, and counted out the coins. There was enough for a decent meal indoors, away from the sun. It would take nearly everything he had, to afford such a reprieve, but...

But really, why bother to worry about budgeting now? Especially when he could use them to pay for a meal indoors, away from the heat.

He stopped in the middle of the busy street and squinted at the sky. The traffic parted around him, and he was automatically aware of the edge of sleeves and kimonos that came within a hair's breadth of brushing him, even though he knew none of these people were a threat. He'd had only one goal in mind when he stopped in Tokyo earlier that morning, but that could wait.

If that man was there, he would be there. If not...

If not, then Soujiro would deal with it after he ate.

Soujiro glanced around. He had assumed that there would be lots of restaurants to choose from - Tokyo _was_ a big city, after all - and he was right: one street up he saw strips of brightly-colored banners rippling in the breeze, advertising itself, unnecessarily; the savory aroma wafting into the street was advertisement enough. Soujiro walked closer, trying to read the characters of the name. It wasn't until he stood in front of the entrance and the wind died down that he could make it out.

The Akabeko.

* * *

There was a handsome man at table four.

He grinned at Tae when she welcomed him, then blushed when she asked if the meal was for one. "Oh, no, I'm waiting for a friend," he said, motioning helplessly.

"That's fine," she responded, nodding. "Would you prefer to wait here, or would you like to be seated?"

"Oh - seated, please. That is, unless it would be easier if I stayed here -"

"No, of course not." She led him to the empty table and watched as he sat down heavily. "Would you like anything to drink while you wait?"

"Tea," he blurted. "No, sake. No - I should have some tea." He smiled weakly up at Tae.

The corner of her lips tilted up. "Should I bring both?" she asked.

"Just tea," he assured her. When Tae hesitated a moment, wondering if he would change his mind again, the man gave an awkward little laugh. "I am so sorry. I promise, I'm not really like this, it's just..." He ducked his head, peering up at her through his lashes. "...sorry."

"Oh, no trouble at all." She tilted her head, considering him. "Are you sure you wouldn't like me to bring some sake?"

"...sure. Sure, I'll have some." The man looked at her, his mouth curving up into a solid smile. "Thank you very much."

She bowed her head. "Please excuse me while I fetch some." She turned and walked back to the kitchen. At the corner of the room beside the screened staff hallway, she glanced back over her shoulder. The man was still watching her. She looked away quickly.

In the kitchen, Tsubame looked up from where she was placing cups and a tea kettle on a tray. "You can tell it's lunchtime, Tae-san!" the girl said cheerfully.

"Yes, there are so many people already." Tae pulled a small bottle of sake from the shelf. "Tell me when you're hungry and I can cover your tables."

"Oh, no - " Her cheeks pinked embarrassedly. "Kanako already offered and I told her yes - "

"Well, that's not a problem!" Tae laughed at the bashful look on the girl's face. "I don't mind." She stepped around one of the chefs to the pot of boiling water, ladling a few spoonfuls into a tea pot and placing it carefully beside the sake.

Tsubame watched her with a pinched expression. "But," she began haltingly, "but I could tell Kanako - "

Tae shook her head. "It's fine," she said. She glanced meaningfully to the tray in Tsubame's hands. "Shouldn't you take - ?"

The girl's blush deepened. "Ah! Sorry, sorry!" She rushed out of the kitchen, nearly colliding with one of the other waitresses in her haste. Tae took a moment to place two cups beside the respective drinks and then followed Tsubame back onto the floor.

The man looked up hopefully when she approached. "Please forgive the wait," she murmured politely, placing the tray to the right of the cooking pot in the center of the table. "Have you decided what ingredients you would like in your pot?"

"I..." His face fell. "I'm sorry, but I don't know exactly... "

"Would you like me to come back in a few minutes?" she asked sympathetically.

"No, I..." He hesitated, then bowed his head to her. "Again, I apologize. I know my behavior is probably, um, _erratic_ at best." He smiled heartbreakingly up at her, and Tae felt her heart speed up in her chest. "Please, forgive me."

His eyes were a lovely warm brown color. Tae caught herself gazing into them several seconds too long and took a quick breath. _Silly_, she scolded herself, fighting for composure. _How can you be falling apart at a little thing like this?_

"O-Of course," she returned, wincing internally at the slight stutter. "Please, you have no need to be sorry. I will come back in a few minutes."

She seated a small group standing in the doorway and took their order. As she went to the kitchen to get their drinks, she checked to make sure her handkerchief was fixed to her head. Her fingers ghosted over her hair, making sure her bun was as smooth and secure as she'd made it that morning. She told herself not to see more than was there - _and there _isn't, she thought firmly, _there's nothing there. I only just met him, so his glances don't mean anything. He's flustered and that's all._

Though she wouldn't deny that she'd often dreamed about a situation like this: that a handsome, kind man would come into the restaurant one day. That she would see him and he would see her and there would be that _spark _of - of something. And that something would turn into frequent visits. They would have lively conversations and go on long walks where his hand would casually touch and then curl around hers, and... he would love her. And she would love him.

If she ever got married, that would be how it happened. She just knew it.

That might be the _only_ way she would get married. And she knew that, too.

Tae pressed out the wrinkles in her striped yukata with her hands before picking up her prepared tray. _He could be the one,_ a small, yearning part of her whispered, and she let herself smile.

She walked to the end of the staff hallway, her eyes already searching for the earnest, shy young man. When she found him between the bowed heads of the other customers, she stopped cold.

The man's face was tilted back, a radiant smile across his face. Tsubame had her arm out, gesturing for a pretty young woman in a violet-and-cream kimono to be seated across from him. The woman ducked her head, clearly apologizing for being late, but the man held out his arms. He took the woman's hands in his, briefly, and then he let them go as she sat down.

Kanako brushed past Tae and she started, realizing she had once again become temporarily frozen while staring at that man. She shook herself and began walking again. As she gently set down the tea tray, she could not help but berate herself. _Of course. Of _course. _I knew better than to think like that. It really was nothing after all._

_ I should have known._

From the corner of her eye, Tae saw the main door slide open. Tae started toward it just as Tsubame looked up. Tae saw the girl excuse herself from the couple and begin to make her way to the entrance. Tae cut between tables, managing to catch Tsubame's arm before she reached the door. "I'll take them," she said swiftly.

She stared. "You'll take who, Tae-san?"

"I'll take the guests at the door. Please take care of that table you just assisted."

Tsubame's eyes widened. "Eh? _Eh?_ But Tae-san, they were your customers!"

Tae smiled down at her. "It's alright."

Tsubame blinked, looking a little lost, but Tae had already turned away. She rounded the corner of the tall, decorative privacy screen and bowed hurriedly. "Irasshaimase! Welcome to the Akabeko!"

In the entry, one step down from the main floor of the restaurant, a solitary man looked up as he stepped out of his geta. "Thank you very much!" He said brightly. "It really is quite cool in here compared to the outdoors."

"Your words are too kind." Tae rose from her bow and smiled at him. Her voice, when she asked the next question, was cautious despite herself. "Are you... expecting anyone to join you today?"

He looked at her and a curious look passed over his face - as though he was actually considering about her question. "I shouldn't think so," he said. Then his eyes darted up to hers again and he grinned. "I hope not, anyway - I'm quite unprepared for company."

It was such an odd response that Tae had to fight the urge to chuckle. "I see," she said. "Then, please, if you would be kind enough to follow me..."

She led him to a table across the restaurant, away from the man and his beautiful friend - _quite incidentally_, Tae told herself - and asked him what he would like to drink.

The man brushed invisible motes of dust off his blue jacket and hakama and spoke without looking up. "Tea, please."

Tae inclined her head. She stopped by one of her other tables on the way to the kitchen, and eventually returned with the small pot of tea. "Forgive the wait," she murmured. She knelt by the table in precisely the same moment that she set the tray silently down. Her body was angled exactly 90 degrees from her customer and as she sat back on her heels, she noted the two-inch space between her knees and the table's edge. Perfect - her form was perfect.

"Take as much time as you want," the man told her. "The longer you take, the more I get to spend indoors out of the sun."

Tae paused, surprised at how - how _candid _he was. She opened her mouth to respond, but the clatter of delicate pottery broke her concentration. She turned with the rest of the Akabeko to see what had happened. The handsome man was blushing furiously. An overturned cup stood by his elbow, and he scrabbled to mop up spilled sake from the tableside. The beautiful girl in the violet kimono had her head tucked down delicately against her chest, managing to look somehow embarrassed and meekly proud at the same time.

"I'm sorry," the man gasped to the girl across from him. "I'm so sorry - "

Then Tsubame hurried over with some clean towels, blocking the view. Tae turned away with a soft sigh. She had imagined a scene like this in her ideal future: perhaps the first, or even the second time her enamored husband-to-be came into the Akabeko, he would be so entranced by her hands or her voice that he'd spill his tea. She would distract him without even realizing it...

But she looked nothing like that beauty.

"I was only distracting myself." The words came out before she could stop them and she stiffened, hoping that the customer beside her hadn't heard.

He blinked a few times at her, his interest clearly caught, and Tae's heart jumped in horror. "You want a distraction?" He asked her, sounding only mildly stunned.

Tae froze. She curled her hands into the folds of her apron. Her mind screamed in a blank roar, _what do I say? What do I say?_

Then her years as a waitress and her training as the assistant manager took over. She spread out her hands on her knees and a warm calm filled her. It was times like this, she'd often told Tsubame, where you remain honest but polite. Hopefully the customers will forgive your grave faux-pas if you show them your earnestness.

So Tae smiled. "Forgive me," she said gently. "I did not mean to speak my heart aloud. I do at times wish for a distraction, it is true. But by no means did I mean to imply that I wished you to provide a - a diversion." She realized as she spoke that he might have found suggestions in her words that she didn't mean. She bowed her head again. "I sincerely apologize."

He didn't reply for a beat. Then two. "No, of course not," he said. Tae listened for sly irony, sarcasm, or even innuendo in his tone, but there was none. His voice was as light as before.

Tae straightened, relieved that he didn't seem bothered by her mistake. She pulled out her small notebook from her pocket. "Then, could I ask what ingredients you would like in your beef hotpot?"

"Tofu, cabbage and udon noodles," he said promptly.

She nodded, jotting down his last request with a slight flourish. "I will return with your meal momentarily." She stood.

"Soujiro," he said.

Tae stopped. He smiled up at her. "That's my name," he said. "Soujiro."

Tae stared at him for a few moments, wondering how to respond. Soujiro laughed. "You asked for a distraction, so I gave you one. It seemed to work pretty well."

Despite herself, an answering smile was trying to spread across her face. "It did," she admitted. "Thank you, Soujiro-san."

She went to the kitchen and delivered his request. When the raw pieces were assembled on a plate, she took them back to Soujiro's table and carefully tipped them into the cast iron pot, careful not to jumble or mix anything. Soujiro's eyes were on her all the while, watching as she began to build the heat below the pot.

"You didn't tell me your name," he said suddenly.

Her eyes darted to meet his, then away. "My name?"

"It really is polite to introduce yourself when someone tells you their name," Soujiro said.

"Oh - forgive me." She sat back on her heels and folded her hands in her lap. She had only ever told a few customers her name before - rarely had anyone asked - and she looked up almost shyly. "I'm Tae. Sekihara Tae."

"Pleased to meet you, Sekihara-san." His grin widened. "Are you from Kyoto? You have that distinctive Kansai accent..."

"Yes, my family is from Kyoto. Have you been there yourself?"

"Oh yes, lots of times."

Tae opened her mouth to ask another question, but after a moment, slowly closed it again. She raised her eyebrows, ever so slightly. "You... you're distracting me again."

He chuckled. "Yep."

She smiled.

"Sumimasen!" A voice called behind her, and automatically Tae turned to look. "Please excuse me," she murmured, and stood to answer it.

She meant to go back to Soujiro's table, if only just to ask him if he needed more tea or if the food was to his taste. But more customers streamed into the Akabeko, and Tae and the other waitresses were kept busy filling orders, delivering food, and seating the waves of people that kept pouring in.

It was not until much later that she happened to glance in the direction of his table and noticed he was gone.

She looked around the room for him, past Tsubame and Kanako, and Yahiko, finally arrived to bus tables, towards the doorway. And there he was, standing on the half-step beside the screen. Soujiro watched her notice him and inclined his head. "Gochisosama deshita," Tae saw him say. He bent his head respectfully.

Tae repeated the action a little self-consciously, knowing there was an entire room of people between herself and Soujiro. Anyone could be watching, after all, so she was limited in her reaction. If she were standing beside him, she would bow properly and say _thank you for the distractions, thank you for your smile - _

But she was not.

So she only smiled, and hoped that he recognized the gratitude in her eyes.

* * *

Soujiro remembered his way through the tangled streets of Tokyo well enough from the last time he visited. Less than ten minutes after leaving the Akabeko, he found the object of his search.

The Kamiya dojo.

His eyes flickered from the rectangular notice on the side and up to the gate itself. It was high enough that no one could see inside the school grounds, but Soujiro didn't mind. Having the buildings hidden from sight made the place a mystery, and Soujiro rather liked light mysteries.

He studied the wood grain at eye level, tracing it with his eye. _What does it look like, where you live? _He asked silently. _What do you see, through your eyes?_

Soujiro had heard several rumors during the past year: some said that the legendary hitokiri had stopped wandering, others said that he had given up the sword altogether or even taken his own life. One man had even assured Soujiro that the Battousai had recently _married._

The questions had become too much, each one vying to be answered, until he had to come back to Tokyo. He had to see for himself if anything he'd been told was accurate.

But now that he was here...

Soujiro placed his hand very carefully against the gate. The Battousai was alive, alright - he could feel that same warmth, that same honesty from his ki radiating from somewhere within the dojo complex. It was stronger, more solid, in a way, than when they had fought in Mount Hiei.

Himura-san was there, but he wasn't alone. Soujiro's eyes narrowed. There was another person there, with an unfamiliar ki - like a tranquil stream, or the gentle fall of evening. Soothing, yet strong.

_They were right,_ Soujiro thought. _Himura-san _is _married._

He wondered what she looked like, this girl who loved the Battousai.

He thought of what would happen if he did gointo the Kamiya dojo. It was a pretty amusing thought ; neither of them would sense him approaching - his own ki was far too suppressed for that - and they would be surprised. Himura-san might even be angry to see him again so soon. And the girl could be afraid of him, if Himura-san had told her about him. Soujiro smiled, envisioning the match that would no doubt follow. It would be a fun fight.

Or the hitokiri might ask him if he had found truth - if he had heard as much about Soujiro as Soujiro had heard about him - and wanted to know. And what would he say?

_No._

'_Truth' might simply be a lie._

And then the Battousai might fight him anyway.

Soujiro slowly lowered his hand. "Not yet," he said quietly. He looked up at the top of the gate and into the branches of a shady dogwood tree. "Not yet," he said again. He memorized the gate, the name plaque, and fixed them in his mind. Later he would come. And when he did, perhaps he would have some answers.

Perhaps then he might begin to understand.

He smiled. "Until then," he said cheerfully. He walked away, down the dusty road and out of Tokyo, while the summer cicadas sang in the trees.

* * *

For the next few weeks, Tae thought of Soujiro. She hoped, selfishly, that he might come back into the Akabeko - not to be her eventual husband, of course, he wasn't handsome enough for that - but just to talk. And because he was different and unusual and a part of her craved that in her monotonous life.

Then as time went on and he never came back, she thought of him less and less. He would not return. She thought she had known all along, really. So she tucked his memory into the back of her mind with the other disappointments and rejections in her life, only to be remembered on cold winter days or dark nights when sleep evaded her. Eventually she stopped thinking about him altogether.

She almost forgot him. But not quite.


	2. Never On Time

**A/N: The westernized Akabeko takes inspiration from RuroKen's final chapter, as well as the short story Yahiko's Sakabato (_Yahiko no__ Sakubato)._**

* * *

**Chapter One - Never on Time**

_-17th Year of the Meiji. Late November, 1884-_

"You've done well here, Tae."

She bent her head. "You are too generous, Otōsan."

Sekihara Kosuke smiled, amused by her polite words. "Seriously, Tae, look around." He motioned with one hand to the main floor of the restaurant. Tae followed his gaze, trying to look as objectively at the scene as her father obviously did. It was just after one in the afternoon and the lunch customers had come out in full force. As she watched, the main doors opened and a group of three Europeans came in, stomping and rubbing their hands in the cold. One of her wait staff - Tsubame - peeled herself away from a table to go greet them. Two other waitresses were busy jotting down the requests of the patrons at the tall, Western-style tables in the middle section of the room. The left and right sections still retained the traditional zashiki seating, with the low table and pillows on the floor. Nearly every seat, Tae realized, whether traditional or Western, was occupied.

"The Akabeko has kept its popularity," she noted quietly.

"Exactly so." He sipped his sake, watching her. "When your uncle, Azaka-san, died last year, I asked you to incorporate Western elements into the restaurant without changing the identity of the Akabeko itself. Not only did you take on that responsibility as the new manager, but the transition was seamless. Old customers still return, while the Westerners favor it because they recognize something familiar. It is because of you, Tae, that the Akabeko is thriving in this changing new world."

Tae bowed so low that the ribbon on the collar of her uniform nearly brushed the table. "I have only ever tried to do my best, Otōsan. It is a credit to you and Azaka-san that I have done well. If there is anything that you see that can be improved upon, please tell me so I can better deserve your words so praise."

"You don't need to be so polite," her father said, almost bluntly, and Tae bowed her head again, wondering if he had perhaps had a little too much sake for so early in the day. "But since you did ask..." He turned around and looked at the room again. "...I would recommend a slight change to your wait staff."

"What would that be?"

"You might consider hiring a waiter in with your waitresses."

Tae looked up at him in surprise. "A - A man? But that would be a degradation to their character, surely - "

"Not in this changing Meiji era. One of our competitors in Kyoto, in fact, replaced nearly all their waitresses with waiters." He leaned in. "It's a boost in revenue - waiters are extremely popular with female guests, you know."

She leveled her gaze at him. "I am not going to fire all my waitresses - "

"Nor do you have to. But," he shrugged a little, "if an opening does appear, advertise the position as male-only."

Tae pursed her lips together. "Actually... Kanako is leaving soon - "

He drained his cup and smiled. "Then the matter is settled."

Tae refilled his cup, half-hoping he would wave her off. He didn't. "I understand your concern," she pressed gently, "but at the same time, I don't want to alienate our customers in any way - "

A commotion from the floor caught her attention and they both turned. The trio of Westerners were standing at the front of the restaurant, varying degrees of consternation on each of their faces. "We don't want to sit at _normal_ tables," the first man was saying loudly, as if by sheer volume alone he could make Tsubame understand his fluid English. "We want to sit at the short ones, like all you people do. We want to experience the culture."

Tsubame's face was flushed. Tae had been teaching her English to converse with the Western customers, but the foreign language was difficult for the girl and she wasn't skilled yet. Tae saw Tsubame's hands fist into the folds of her skirts."So sorry," she said in broken English. "All are... taken."

The Europeans looked around. Tae swallowed guiltily. She herself was sitting with her father at one of the traditional tables. She glanced at the other seats just to double-check, but Tsubame was right: all of the zashiki place settings were taken.

"Please..." Tsubame gestured to the Western tables again. "Please sit?"

"No." The Europeans glanced at one another, sharing the same unpleasant look. "We'll go somewhere else to eat."

Tsubame's face was pinched in distress. She didn't have enough knowledge of English to know how to respond, Tae knew. Tae sucked in her breath and braced her hand against the floor, ready to rush to Tsubame's rescue.

A hand closed around her wrist. "Wait," her father cautioned. Tae twisted around to look at him, amazed that he would let this situation pass without doing something to fix it, but he wasn't looking at her. Tae frowned and looked back at the main floor.

Across the room, a young man rose to his feet. He placed his chopsticks across his empty bowl and smoothed the front of his faded blue jacket. He left his table and walked to Tsubame. "Excuse me," he said kindly, "but I was just leaving."

Tsubame stared at him in surprise. "Eh?" She asked.

He smiled. "They can have my table. I'm quite finished eating."

The entire Akabeko was silent, watching the exchange play out. Tsubame was blushing furiously and Tae knew she wasn't much better - what the man was doing was very, very gracious. "That... that isn't necessary," Tsubame began shakily.

"I'm not doing anything. I just wanted you to know that I was done eating. It was very good, thank you very much." He bowed respectfully to her, then nodded to the Westerners who were hesitating by the doorway.

"Him." Tae's father murmured behind her. "That's the sort of man you want to hire as a waiter. Someone who will make people feel comfortable, no matter the situation."

"Him?" Tae echoed. As the young man straightened, Tae caught a better view of his face. _He's familiar,_ she thought , but she couldn't think how. _Why does he seem so familiar?_

"Yes," her father confirmed. "And that man has rather elegant features. His face would be enough to attract more customers, at least."

"_Otōsan_!" She hissed.

"Well, are you going to let him leave?" He asked, sounding unruffled. "Invite him to meet me upstairs."

She shot her father another look, but he only nodded toward the doorway. Tae pushed herself to her feet and padded past the Europeans Tsubame was shepherding over to the newly-emptied table. Tae slowed, brushing down her apron as she rounded the edge of the screen.

The young man was standing alone in the entrance, stepping into his geta. "Please, wait," Tae called. He looked up just as she bowed low. "I am Sekihara Tae, the manager of this restaurant. I am in your debt for your kindness - "

"Oh, I'm not leaving because of that." He shrugged, slipping his small traveler's pack over one shoulder. "I really was finished eating, and it seemed like a good time to let everyone know."

"Regardless, I am grateful." She straightened slowly. "If you are not terribly busy, could I beg you for a little more of your time? There's someone who would like to speak to you."

The smallest flicker of surprise jolted across his face. Then he shrugged again and a quick little smile took its place. "Of course, I don't mind."

"Then if you could come this way." She led him back through the main floor of the restaurant and into the staff corridor. But instead of taking a right to turn into the kitchen, she took a left, leading to a staircase. Halfway up the flight of stairs, the man asked suddenly, "Do you recognize me?"

Tae glanced back at him. His blue eyes were peering up at her - so _dark_ blue - and she thought, _I have seen him before, but where?_

But she couldn't just say _you are familiar, but I don't know how_ - that sounded like she was trying to play into his favor. So she gave him an apologetic smile and shook her head. "I am sorry," she said.

"Ah. Nevermind, then."

Tae nearly asked him how he recognized her, but by then they had reached the top of the stairs and the question was all but forgotten.

* * *

Her father was waiting for them in a guest room on the second floor.

"Please sit down," he said. The sounds of the restaurant and its customers were a soft murmur below them. "My name is Sekihara Kosuke. I am Tae's father."

"Pleased to meet you, Sekihara-san," the young man said genially. He obediently knelt down on the cushion that Kosuke had motioned to.

"I know this is all rather unusual," he said as Tae settled down next to him. "Part of the reason I asked to see you was to thank you myself for what you did."

The young man waved his hands embarrassedly. "Everyone's making such a big deal out of it," he said, "when really, I was just full and ready to go."

Tae's father sent a look to his daughter that said, _you see?_ and turned back wearing a satisfied expression. "The other reason why I asked to see you was to offer a... well, to set up an arrangement, I suppose."

The man in blue only blinked. Tae swallowed and looked down at her hands. Her father had a darker streak that only seemed to emerge when he was toeing the border between drunkenness and sobriety. His penchant for dramatics tended to pop up more often when he was like that, and she worried what he might be planning. _Sorry,_ she told the straight-backed man silently. _Just endure him, it'll be over soon._

"Would you like to be a waiter at the Akabeko?" Kosuke asked abruptly.

That was _worse! _Tae winced. She shut her eyes, wishing her father was_ not_ drunk.

"Otōsan," she whispered, not daring to look at him. Not daring to look at the young man across from them, for fear that he was barely holding back incredulous laughter.

Seconds passed and he didn't speak. "...you would ask me to work for you?" He asked eventually.

Tae's eyes slowly opened. He sounded... serious. As if he didn't think her father's question was too far-fetched after all.

"Not for me," Kosuke corrected. "For my daughter, Tae. She is the manager of the Akabeko."

"Hm," he said consideringly. "But you don't know anything about me."

"Very well, then. What's your name?"

"Seta Soujiro, Sekihara-san."

_Soujiro._ His voice echoed in Tae's mind and suddenly she realized why he seemed so familiar. Her memory of him was fuzzy, and she really only remembered the familiar banter they shared back and forth, like he was an old friend she had never met. But...

But that was four years ago.

She looked up. His brilliant blue eyes met hers, watching her understand. He gave her a little smile before turning back to her father.

_You came back, _she thought, staring at him. She studied his smooth black hair and curved mouth, trying to fill in the details of the Soujiro in her mind that time and absence had erased. _You came back to the Akabeko._

_But why now, after all this time?_

"Are you employed, Soujiro-san? Or obligated in another way that would prevent you from taking the job?" Her father asked.

Soujiro shook his head. "I'm just traveling right now. I was actually thinking of spending some time in Tokyo, but I haven't found an inn yet."

Kosuke slapped his knee. "Then it's settled. You'll live up here in an extra room and Tae will teach you how to wait and serve our customers. In return, you'll receive a monthly stipend for your labor."

"Well, it does seem that you've thought of everything, Sekihara-san. Serving in a restaurant sounds like interesting work." He pressed his hands against the mats and bowed. "I accept the position you've offered."

Kosuke nodded. "Well, the first thing you'll need is a uniform! The Akabeko has Westernized along with the rest of the country, so I'm afraid your own clothes won't do." He climbed to his feet. "Let me find the tape measure and I'll record your size for the tailor."

The shoji door slid open and shut, leaving Tae and Soujiro alone. For a long moment they sat in silence, staring at one another. Tae cleared her throat. "I'm sorry," she said. She looked away and then back at him. "I really didn't forget... I just didn't know it was... _you_," she finished lamely.

The corner of his lips tipped up. "It's alright," he said lightly. "I have a pretty good memory - I remember people and places that have an impression on me." He shrugged. "I guess that isn't true for everyone."

Tae dropped her gaze, mortified. "But... I..." _But you did,_ she wanted to say. _I hoped you would come back for so long. I wanted you to. And then you didn't, and I..._

"Why did you come back?" She asked quietly. She realized too late that the question was far too personal and she ducked her head. "Sorry," she murmured again.

She felt Soujiro's eyes on her, sensed his serene, contented smile. "To see someone. It was time."

Her blood burned beneath her cheeks. Tae kept her hands perfectly still in her lap, though her mind reeled. Soujiro came back to visit someone... but who? His family? A friend?

_...me_? A small part of her mind wondered.

_Nonsense,_ she told herself as she shoji opened again and her father reappeared. _Utter nonsense._

"Here we are. Stand up, if you please, Soujiro-san." Kosuke uncoiled the cloth tape measure and stretched it taunt between his hands. "Write this down, Tae. Shoulders, four spans. Length of back from neck, six spans. Width of torso, five spans..."

Tae copied down her father's notations. When he had finished, she tore the paper out of her notebook and handed it to him. "I'll get this made," Kosuke said, nodding his thanks. "Please show Soujiro-san around and introduce him to everyone."

"Of course, Otōsan." She rose silently to her feet.

"If I take this to them now, perhaps it will be ready by this evening. But regardless, I'll be back by then." He glanced at Soujiro and then Tae and turned away.

Tae watched him stride into the hallway and listened as his footsteps became fainter and fainter. She took a slow breath. She could not have predicted _this_ situation when her father mentioned eating lunch together a few hours ago. Tae straightened her shoulders and raised her head. "Well," she said, glancing sideways at Soujiro. "Welcome to the Akabeko, Soujiro-san."

* * *

Tae slid the door open and stepped to the side politely. "This is the only room that isn't currently occupied at the moment," she said, glancing apologetically at the storage boxes stacked along the back wall. "I'm sorry. I'll ask for it to be cleared out before this evening."

Soujiro placed his pack just inside the door and looked around. The room was fairly large, even with half the space unusable. It was the largest chamber he'd had to himself in a while - at least five years, he figured. It would be nice to have the ability to lounge again.

"Does this room face east?" He asked, though he already knew the answer. In the crevices between the boxes, pale, slanted light peeked through from the windows. In the morning, this room would be bathed in brilliant gold.

"It does." Her eyes darted to the wall of the room and back again - a reflexive action. "I am sorry, but the sun makes it difficult to sleep for long."

_Her own room is next door._ That would complicate things; she would already be acutely aware of his presence, and she would have an easy view to his doings.

Well. A watchful eye had never stopped him before. Soujiro shrugged. "I don't mind," he told her brightly. "I'm used to getting up early."

"I'm glad," she said.

Soujiro stepped back into the hall and as Tae shut the door behind him, he saw her eyes flicker once more toward her room. _She's uncomfortable with my proximity,_ he realized. The corner of his mouth tipped up. _That changes everything._

"We will provide the basic necessities for you," Tae said as she led him down the hall. "I don't know what you have brought with you, or how much you were able to carry in your travels, but please let me know if you need anything."

"Oh, you don't need to worry, Sekihara-san," Soujiro said, shaking his head. "I've been taking care of myself for a while now, so I don't really mind going without."

She stopped suddenly. "We - _I_ care, though. My employees... the people here really become..."

Soujiro watched her silently, waiting for her to finish her thought. _Friends? _he supplied for her. _Family? Are you expecting me to fill that role, as well?_

Then Tae turned to look at Soujiro, and the cool expression in her eyes surprised him. "Please do not call me by my family's name. Sekihara-san is my father, and I am Tae."

His smile snapped into place. "Forgive me, Tae-san."

She waved her hand in a _it's nothing_ motion and led him down the staircase. The noise grew louder as they reached the ground floor but Tae didn't give the restaurant a second glance. She walked into the shadows beneath the staircase and opened a door that Soujiro hadn't seen before. Bright afternoon sun filled the hall as Tae stepped out and Soujiro winced, squinting his eyes in the light change.

Tae stopped on the front step. "The bathhouse is to the left. There are only a few of us who live in the Akabeko, so it shouldn't be too difficult to choose different times to bathe."

"Of course," he agreed.

"We have a garden here," Tae said, pointing to the raised beds. An icy wind swept through the doorway, rippling the hem of her dark blue dress. She took a staggered breath, fighting the cold. "It can't produce enough to feed our customers, especially in the winter months, but it does help in the warmer times of the year."

Soujiro looked past her, toward the other parts of the yard. A weak snowfall yesterday had covered the ground in filmy white, but now raw, brown dirt was peeking through in uneven patches. At the far corner stood an ancient willow tree, the long, whip-thin branches bare in the bitter air. In another corner stood a different tree - cherry? Or apple? Soujiro didn't really care much about plant life - with a low stone bench tucked against the trunk, where spring months would provide shade. Around the tree sat the small remains of a long-dead flower garden.

_Odd._ Soujiro stared at that corner for a long moment, trying to guess what the reason for it was. The bench and the garden were more aesthetic than anything - a useless inclusion in a space that would have benefited from yet another vegetable patch. Soujiro glanced at Tae. This was her restaurant, her garden - she must have some reason for wanting it there.

Tae shivered. "Well," she said, turning to meet his gaze. "Any questions so far?

"None, Tae-san."

Tae nodded and slid the door shut. She flicked a small latch into place, locking the door closed. The hallway beside the stairs was narrow, and Soujiro had to stand with his shoulders pressed against the wall to let Tae pass. He trailed her to the next doorway to the right, which led straight to the busy kitchen.

A waitress appeared just as Soujiro stepped through the doorway. "Excuse - " She began, then did a double take to where he was standing to the side. Her mouth fell open, and her eyes flickered to where he stood a moment ago, then back to him.

"Ah, Kanako-chan." Tae bowed her head. "Forgive us for taking some of your time - this is Soujiro-san."

"And your replacement, the way I understand it," Soujiro said cheerfully.

"I - I see." Kanako's cheeks pinked. She dropped her chin and bowed the best as she could over the three plates she had balanced in her arms. But then Kanako's eyes darted up to catch his, and Soujiro felt her ki shift with a firm, stubborn conviction. A second later, a wave of _challenge _hit him solidly in the chest.

_My, how interesting!_ Soujiro tilted his head to the side, examining the girl. The challenge hadn't been a declaration of power - her will was like a hand on his chest, really, in comparison to the unbridled strength he had felt before - and the emotions he sensed coming from her now were a strange mix of suspicion and certainty.

"I nearly collided with you, Soujiro-san" Kanako said. "Pardon me."

"No you didn't," he contradicted mildly, watching with amusement as doubt then guarded confidence shifted through her eyes. _She thinks she's figured me out, _he thought as her eyes reluctantly dropped from his. The assumption was so ridiculous that it made him want to laugh.

He settled for grinning at her.

"My name is Taniguchi Kanako," she said.

"Yes," was all he said.

Kanako hesitated a moment longer, then bowed her head again. "Excuse me," she murmured. She slipped out of the room and vanished.

Tae was staring at Soujiro when he turned to face her. "Yes, Tae-san?" He prompted, sending her his sweetest smile.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, but her ki was - she didn't feel displeased with him. Odd. He met her eyes curiously, just as she sharpened her gaze. She gave him an intense look, just long enough for Soujiro to feel the slightest bit uncomfortable. Then, abruptly, she turned away.

He exhaled slowly. _Odd, _he confirmed. _Very odd._

"As you can see, this is the kitchen," Tae said pointlessly, nodding her head to the room at large. She walked to a worn brown table near the front of the room, the first side to a wide rectangle that held two chefs within. One of them looked up from chopping leeks as Tae approached. "This is where you give the requests," she explained, tapping the tabletop with her fingers. "If the restaurant isn't very busy, you can wait while one of the chefs prepares the plate for your order, or you can come back after you've seen to another table. If the chefs are too overwhelmed, they may ask you to assist by chopping your own vegetables -"

"Hey, Tae-san." Both of the chefs were looking up now, mirroring smiles on their faces. "Who's this?"

"Is he the cook who's supposed to be the best in Tokyo, who's faster at slicing and dicing than the eye can catch?" The other asked.

"Are you replacing us, Tae-san? Just like you say you always will?" The first man sighed, good humor spoiling his attempt at looking injured.

"I have never - oh, forget it." Tae sighed as they burst into laughter. "Soujiro-san, these are our chefs, Urato-san and Nizuno-san. As you can see, they shamelessly enjoy practical jokes and teasing the waitresses."

"Not everyone - just Tsubame-chan," Urato corrected.

"And you, Tae-san," Nizuno added.

"So who are you, Soujiro-san? Are you the third chef to our merry company?" Urato stabbed his knife into an onion and scratched his throat, looking Soujiro up and down. He leaned toward Nizuno conspiratorially. "I don't think so, though - he looks a little young to be handling knives."

Soujiro only smiled.

Tae raised her head. "Soujiro-san is a co-worker," she said firmly. "He will take Kanako-chan's place as a waiter in the restaurant. I'm giving him the general tour."

"A waiter," Urato echoed, blinking.

"It'll be nice to have another man around," Nizuno commented.

"He looks too young to be of age."

"Yes, but how does the phrase go? _It's the thought that counts_."

"Well, I suppose if you look at it that way..."

They both laughed and Tae sighed again. "Don't mind them," she said, leading Soujiro away from the chefs. "They get here just after sunrise to get ready for the day and they stay late to help clean the kitchen, but they don't live in the Akabeko itself. Thankfully," she added belatedly, under her breath.

Soujiro smiled, amused by her irritation.

"After the customers order their drinks, you come here to get them ready." Tae stopped at a long counter along the right wall. "Teapots are stored in the cabinets below, the teacups up above. The sake is on the far left, in bottles depending on size of the party." She turned and pointed to the other side of the room, where two massive pots hung over a crackling fire. "The teacups are filled separately from the heated water. If the water ever gets low, please tell one of the chefs and they'll refill it from the well."

"Sounds simple enough," Soujiro said.

"Good. Oh - " She held up a finger, catching herself. "I forgot to mention - feel free to eat or drink whenever you need to. The kitchen and its resources are open to you, but let me know if we're beginning to run out of something so I can order some more."

"Of course, Tae-san."

"During lunch and dinner, I cover the tables for the waitresses while they eat. Do you have a preference about what time you would like to -?"

"Oh no, I don't mind waiting until the restaurant is empty to eat." Soujiro shrugged. "I told you - I don't mind going without."

Tae's eyes narrowed slightly and she opened her mouth to respond when another waitress walked into the room. "Ah," Tae said instead. "This is Hana-chan."

"Pleased to meet you," Soujiro said politely.

Hana pushed her braids over her shoulder and inclined her head. Without replying, she walked to the fire, filled a teapot, then silently swept out.

"Hana-chan lives at the Akabeko as well," Tae continued. "She's still relatively new to being a waitress, so I think she'll be relieved that she won't be the newest hire here." She caught the blink of surprise on Soujiro's face and sighed. "Hana-chan is quite reserved. Do not be disappointed if she does not speak to you."

Soujiro nodded, but his mind was turning. He began to count off the people he had met in his head. _Boisterous Sekihara-san, who hired a total stranger to work for his daughter; Kanako-chan, with her bold confrontation; Urato and Nizuno, more like jovial siblings than professionals; Hana-chan, who appears deceptively disinterested..._

_Sanjō Tsubame, who must be here somewhere..._

_And Sekihara Tae herself._

"Soujiro-san?" Tae stood in the kitchen doorway, looking back at him from over her shoulder.

"Sorry, Tae-san!" He said, and followed her down the hall to where she paused, looking out over the main floor of the restaurant.

"The lunch guests have thinned," Tae observed, and she was right; the tables were only half-full now. As Soujiro scanned the room, the three Europeans that had been such a bother earlier stood, stretched, then tromped toward the door. He gave Tae a side look. She was watching them too, the traces of a frown on her face.

"You don't happen to know English, do you?" She asked without turning.

"A few words," he admitted. "Not much."

"That's alright," she said, "I can teach you. I'm teaching Tsubame-chan a few nights a week when we have some free time."

_Ah._ He kept his voice light and neutral. "Tsubame-chan?"

"Yes, the third waitress here. Tsubame-chan also lives in the Akabeko with Hana-chan and I." Tae nodded her head toward the restaurant. "She's the one with the short hair, there in the middle."

_"Sanjō Tsubame works at the sukiyaki restaurant, the Akabeko." The steam rose gently from the teacup in the traveler's browned hand. _

_"What is the use of that girl to me?" Soujiro asked, smiling absently._

_He shrugged. "She will be of much use if you wish to find Myōjin Yahiko."_

"Tsubame-chan!" Tae called. Soujiro started, torn from the memory. Across the room, the girl with the short hair looked up. She bowed to her guests and stepped back as they slowly stood and left the table. Tsubame gave them a final glance and then turned to grin to Tae. She skipped over.

"Forgive me, Tae-san!" She exclaimed, sounding a little out of breath. "Was there something that you needed?"

Tae gestured to Soujiro, but he spoke first. "Soujiro," he said, inclining his head politely. "I've just been hired as the new waiter."

"Ah! What good news!" Tsubame clapped her hands together. "We won't be short-staffed after Kanako-chan leaves!"

"Soujiro-san is going to live in the Akabeko, in the extra room," Tae said, "so I'll need help moving all the boxes."

"Of course!" Tsubame held up her fists. "Leave it to me! I can help you, Tae-san!"

"No, no..." Tae smiled, shaking her head. "I didn't mean you, Tsubame-chan. I know he was here earlier, but have you seen Yahiko-kun recently?"

Soujiro's head snapped toward Tae before he could stop himself. Tsubame smiled, and Soujiro felt her ki blossom with affectionate warmth. _It's true,_ he thought. _What the traveler said about them - it's true._

"He was right here until Yuta-kun came in," the girl recalled. "Then Yahiko-kun said they had to talk outside. So... I guess they're still out there, because they haven't come back in!"

"Yutaro-kun again. I see." Tae folded her hands together, and her ki twisted with cautious amusement. "Well, could you tell Yahiko-kun to come in here, please? I don't want another fight breaking out in the street again."

"Yes, ma'am!" Tsubame began to turn away when she suddenly stopped and whirled back around, blushing. "I forgot to thank you for your kindness earlier - thank you very much!" She said, bowing deeply to Soujiro.

Soujiro bent his head again, starting to understand Tae's entertainment.

Tsubame raced away, her apron flapping back against her crimson skirts. Tae reached up to push her bangs to one side and Soujiro followed her hand with his eyes. "Yahiko-kun works here as well," Tae said, noticing his eyes on her. "Just... more unpredictably than the others. I ask him to do any miscellaneous tasks that need to be completed - like clearing tables and washing dishes."

"And cleaning out bedrooms," Soujiro added.

Tae smiled. "Yes," she said, "and he doesn't protest. At least, not much." She looked toward the restaurant's entrance, hidden by the painted privacy screen.

Soujiro followed her gaze, mirroring her thoughtful pose exactly. Myōjin Yahiko was there, just outside.

At last.

_"Myōjin Yahiko?" He'd repeated, tilting his head to the side._

_"He was ten at the time you met the Battousai."_

_Soujiro shrugged._

_"Myōjin Yahiko lived with him," he emphasized._

_"But he did not learn the Hiten Mitsurugi." He looked away dismissively. "That skill will go to Himura-san's son."_

_"No," the traveler agreed, "Myōjin Yahiko did not learn it. But he was raised by the Battousai. By a hitokiri."_

_Soujiro hesitated, realizing what the traveler meant. There was something... similar between himself and the boy, that was true. Shishio-san had never attempted to teach Soujiro how to use his Secret Sword techniques; he'd encouraged him to develop his own skills, and pointed out the flaws when Soujiro later demonstrated them to him. It was possible that Himura Kenshin had acted as a similar mentor to this boy, Myōjin Yahiko, as he learned the Kamiya Kasshin form._

_But Himura-san was different from Shishio-san - different in every way. _How would it be, _he wondered, _to be raised by a hitokiri like Himura-san, and not Shishio-san?

_"If you find Myōjin Yahiko, you will find the Battousai," the traveler said after a long moment._

_Soujiro did not reply._

_The traveler blew on his tea. His breath skittered across the surface of the cup, disturbing the still reflection of the cloudy sky. "And you still want to find him. Don't you?"_

_"Not exactly," he said airily. "I know precisely where he is."_

_"...I don't understand," he said bluntly._

_Soujiro grinned. "No, you don't," he said, and his smile grew wider at the frown of dislike on the traveler's face. He hitched his bag higher up on his shoulders. "The Akabeko. I think I'll start there."_

_He gave the younger man a disgruntled look. "You know where it is?"_

_Soujiro looked down the mountain toward the distant valley. Somewhere down there, beyond the haze of green and grey and close to the call of the sea, was Tokyo. And within that city, in the Akabeko, was a woman that he remembered well, to this day._

_He would find a way to be in her life. Through her, he would ingratiate himself into Himura-san's circle. Through her, he would come face-to-face with that hitokiri once again._

_This time, he would not turn back._

_"I think I can find my own way," Soujiro said._

And he had. He hadn't thought it would be so easy, but the Akabeko had accepted him with open arms.

A smile curved his lips. _And now, for Myōjin Yahiko..._

He watched the screen, waiting for the first glimpse of the man who would walk out behind it.


	3. A Wrench in Clocks

**A/N: Just a few quick notes.**

**Updates: I'm going to try to update this story every two weeks, give or take a few days. Summer is especially busy for where I work, but I'll do my best!  
**

**And okay, Watsuki has obviously never had much experience with fashion (have you guys really looked at the Westernized Akabeko uniforms? Bleh). I know there's nothing I can do to change what's already been canonized, but since I have a shot to classy-up the Akabeko through Sou's uniform, I'm doin' it. **

**Google double-breasted waistcoats when you get a mo. They are _h__awt._**

**And now end of the blabber.  
**

* * *

**Chapter Two - A Wrench in Clocks**

Yahiko followed Tsubame into the restaurant, reaching back to scratch his head with one hand. "Look," he began, before Tae could speak. "Nothing was going to get out of hand, Tae-san. I was just talking to Yutaro - "

"You said that last time, after the shoji was sliced in half," Tae interrupted dryly. "Were your swords drawn when you were 'talking?'"

He scowled. "No."

Tae crossed her arms and turned to Tsubame. "Were they?"

"Hey, you don't believe me?" Yahiko rounded on Tsubame, who was looking embarrassed to be at the center of attention. "Tsubame, don't tell her anything," he warned her.

Tsubame blushed scarlet. "Well, the swords might have been... a little bit..."

Tae raised her eyebrows knowingly as Yahiko groaned. "I thought so," she said, hiding her smile as Yahiko rubbed his hand into his hair again, making his wind-blown style look even more kinetic. He had been tenser than usual these days, ever since Yutaro had returned from Germany quite the playboy. Every once in a while, when Yutaro thought Yahiko's guard was down, he flirted with Tsubame, playfully hoping to steal her affections right under Yahiko's nose. Most of the time their competition over the oblivious Tsubame was amusing, except for the time when Yahiko really did destroy one of the shoji in the front entrance. Yahiko had apologized and paid for a new door, but Tae still liked to tease him about it.

"I have something I need you to do, but first I have an introduction to make." Tae glanced at Soujiro, and the look on his face as he gazed at Yahiko was as inscrutable as ever. "This is Soujiro-san. He will replace Kanako-chan as a waiter in the Akabeko."

"Soujiro, huh?" Yahiko looked him up and down. "You don't look too old - "

"I'm older than you," he said lightly.

Yahiko's mouth twitched. Tae had known him for so long that she recognized his tell of secret amusement when she saw it. "Why d'you want to work at the Akabeko?"

"It sounds like fun."

"Yeah?" Yahiko crossed his arms.

"Yes, and I need the work. But don't worry - " He smiled sunnily at Yahiko " - I'm not here to take your girl away from you."

For a long moment, no one spoke. Yahiko appeared thunderstruck, and Tsubame looked between Soujiro and Yahiko, wide-eyed. Tae glanced sidelong at Soujiro, watching his unwavering smile.

What a strange person he was.

The moment lengthened and Tae saw Yahiko swallow hard. It seemed as though he wasn't sure whether to be affronted or entertained. Tsubame was looking at him, her hand hovering just above his arm, waiting for a sign to either comfort or placate him. And Soujiro was just smiling, simply smiling.

Tae sighed internally. It was up to her, then, to defuse the situation.

She put a hand over her mouth, forcing out a giggle. The three of them turned to look at her as she laughed, pushing the sound into an effortless cascade of good humor. Then, after a pause, Tsubame joined in, her light voice a perfect harmony.

Yahiko's wrinkled brow smoothed and he nodded once. "Yeah," he said, "Yeah, I guess you're alright." He rubbed the back of his neck, looking over at Tae. "So, uh, what did you need me to do?"

She met his brown eyes coolly. "Clean out the storage room upstairs," she said casually. "Soujiro-san is going to live there now."

"What?" Yahiko demanded, turning back to scowl at Soujiro.

"A man's got to live somewhere," he quipped blithely.

"But after what you just said - !"

"I told you, that's not my reason for being here." Soujiro shrugged, as if his explanation was the simplest thing in the world. "So you don't need to worry about it."

Yahiko held Soujiro's gaze for a moment longer, looking unconvinced. Then a slow, awkward chuckle came out. "Well... at least you're honest," he said eventually. "Alright, Tae-san, I'll clean out the room after I get something to eat."

"Oh!" Tsubame snapped her arm out, automatically gesturing for him to sit down at one of the tables. "Tell me what you want and I'll get it for you!"

"Wait just a moment." Tae shook her head. "Tsubame, you haven't eaten, right? I think this could be a good teaching opportunity."

"Eh?" Tsubame blinked.

"You mean..." Yahiko rubbed his neck again, his face reddening. Tae turned to Soujiro with a wide smile. "We have two guests who are hungry. Please invite them to sit."

Soujiro blinked at her. "...ah." He bowed politely to Yahiko and Tsubame, playing along. "If you wouldn't mind - "

"Oh, but... I mean, really, you don't have to - I could help - " Tsubame twisted her hands together, biting the corner of her lips nervously.

"Tsubame, sit down. It's training." Yahiko reached up and tugged Tsubame down into the seat across from him. His hand lingered on her wrist a few seconds before he slowly pulled away. Tae, watching him, smiled.

"Would you like anything to drink?" Soujiro asked courteously.

Tsubame smoothed her apron over her lap, her fingers light and nervous. "Ah! Um - well -"

"Tea," Yahiko broke in. He raised an eyebrow at Tsubame. "You have to be more decisive, Tsubame."

"Sorry, Yahiko-kun." She ducked her head shyly, biting her lip again. Yahiko's eyes softened, watching her, and he sighed.

Soujiro bobbed his head smartly. "Coming right up!" He exclaimed and spun on his heel, whisking into the kitchen. Tae followed a little slower, a few steps behind.

He had already pulled out a teapot and was filling it by the fireside by the time Tae came to stand in the kitchen doorway. She looked on silently as he pulled out a tray and set two small cups on the side. He placed the teapot beside them and paused.

"Is... something wrong?" She asked, glancing from his motionless hands to the profile of his face.

"No," he replied.

She linked her hands behind her back and leaned against the doorframe. "You haven't forgotten anything," she said after a long moment, wondering if his stillness stemmed from a sudden uncertainty of what to do next. "All you have to do now is take it out to them and ask for their order."

"Yes."

But Soujiro didn't move. Tae watched him, wondering if something else was the matter.

He spoke without turning. "You laughed."

She raised her head a little. Soujiro's voice had been soft, but she had heard it nonetheless. She examined the lines of his face, searching for any emotion there - whether he was confused, amused, questioning, skeptical - but she could see nothing that indicated one way or another.

When his head turned slightly toward her, she realized he was expecting a response. "Yes," she said, not knowing what else to say. "It was funny."

Soujiro was still for a moment longer, then he picked up his tray and turned to face her. "Yes," he said with a smile, "it was, wasn't it?"

He brushed past Tae and out of the kitchen, leaving her wide-eyed in surprise. Behind their counter, Nizuno and Urato were looking at her with twin expressions of bemusement on their faces.

"What was that about?" Urato said, arching one eyebrow.

"Not sure," Tae replied, glancing over her shoulder toward the main room.

"Well, the kid has a point - your laugh is kind of funny," Nizuno said, a shrug in his voice.

Tae gave them a withering look before returning to the restaurant. When she reached Soujiro's side, he was taking their order.

"You do it this time," Yahiko told Tsubame. "And chose fast this time."

Tsubame nodded firmly. "Okay, um - scallionsmushroomsandnoodles!"

"Uh..." Yahiko couldn't quite keep the grin from his face. "Not _that_ fast, Tsubame, you'll need to give Soujiro some time to write it down - "

"No need," Soujiro interjected brightly. "I caught it all: scallions, mushrooms and noodles. I'll be just a moment!" He bowed crisply and strode away, just as fast.

Yahiko smirked up at Tae. "What an amateur. You really need to break him in, Tae. If this were in the middle of lunch or dinner - "

She shrugged. "He'll soon get the hang of it. I'm going to put him on the floor tonight."

"Huh? All by himself, so soon?"

"Sure. If you wouldn't mind shadowing him - "

"What? You want me to follow him around?" When Tae only nodded, Yahiko sat back with a groan. "But I already have to clean out the upstairs room - "

" - Or I could pair him with Tsubame." She smiled sweetly at the abrupt scowl on his face. "Your choice."

Tsubame glanced from Tae to Yahiko. "I don't mind helping - "

"Shut _up, _Tsubame." Yahiko glared at Tae. "I'll do it."

"Thank you," she said smoothly.

They waited for Soujiro to return with the food. After a few moments, Tsubame ducked her head. "Um... Yahiko-kun, do you know what this reminds me of? It sort of feels like we're eating at a restaurant together somewhere. You know? Just you and me. It's - It's fun." Her eyes darted up to meet his, then quickly looked away. "I mean... I think it's pretty fun..."

The annoyed look on Yahiko's face faded. "Yeah, I guess so," he said, turning his head away. Tae tugged down the lace cuffs of her dress, hiding her smile.

"Please forgive the wait." Soujiro appeared beside Tae and she started a little. He bent his head apologetically, squatting down by the table.

"Oh - no, no." Tae shook her head. She pressed out the wrinkles of her dress as she sank gracefully to her knees. "Kneel down at an angle to the table, like this. Pay extra care to the plate in your hand so that the movement is seamless; you would not want to lose balance and tip the food."

"Like this?" Soujiro knelt down beside her, his faded hakama a stark contrast to her midnight-blue uniform.

"Exactly so," she said, nodding. "And when in the role of a server, apologize for your actions; tardiness or a long wait is _not _something you can presume to ask forgiveness for from the customers."

"I suppose that makes sense. Sorry, Tae-san."

"Of course, when an egregious error is performed - you mix up the plate, or you spill something - that is when it is fitting to ask to be forgiven."

"Or when you speak from your heart," Soujiro added.

It took a moment for the words to register, but when they did, Tae froze. Suddenly she remembered in exact detail what Soujiro was referring to.

_The heat in her cheeks, a dead giveaway she was blushing. The pounding in her ears, as her heartbeat threatened to drown out all rational thought. What had she done? She had said too much. She wanted to take the words back, wished she hadn't been so careless -_

_ But there he was, he was staring at her, waiting for her to explain. And she couldn't - what could she say? That she had broken the most important rule of service? That she'd been distracted and spoke without thinking, caught up in wishing things she shouldn't - couldn't - think?_

_ She fought the inclination to bow. No, pretend she had meant it. Pretend she still had command of herself, of the situation. Pretend an easiness she didn't feel._

_ She could feel her lips trembling, but she smiled. "Forgive me," she murmured, and she was both relieved and heartened with how sure of herself she sounded. She continued slowly, cautiously, measuring each word with care. "I... did not mean to speak my heart aloud. I do at times wish for a distraction, that is true. But by no means did I mean to imply that I wished you to provide a - " She stumbled on the wording, but caught herself in time "- a distraction."_

_ Her eyes flickered up to meet his. His dark blue irises were fringed with pale grey, giving his eyes the look of deep ice in winter. No - they were like snow in a cloudless evening, she corrected herself, watching as his eyes darted back and forth, gazing into her own. _

_ Such beautiful blue eyes._

_ Shamed, she did bow her head this time. He might have seen the growing awe in her expression, or read too much into her words. Perhaps the apology was doing no good after all, and he was thinking that she was only wasting his time. Or, worse, if he could read her ki and understand -_

_ She shut her eyes, banishing the thought. "I sincerely apologize," she murmured, hoping with all her heart that he would soon forget this grave mistake and it would all be over._

And yet he had not forgotten. Not for five years.

Tae spread her hands flat against her thighs. She could feel Soujiro's eyes on her now - not expectant, but calmly waiting, as if simply observing her to see what she would do next. She swallowed. "That is true," she admitted softly. "When serving, it is the concern of our customers that we must seek to remedy, never our own."

"What would make someone talk about themselves?" Soujiro asked, sounding only mildly curious.

Yahiko raised his cup to his lips, glancing over at Tae. "Any sorts of things," she replied, wondering if Soujiro meant for the question to be about her general instructions, or the first day they'd met. "In some cases things have turned out well, but more often than not..." She glanced over at him and smiled. "Well, you understand - please try not to let that happen."

He blinked at her for a moment, then smiled back. "Of course not, Tae-san."

"Very well. Pour the ingredients in." She watched as Soujiro tilted his hand just right, so the shiitakes and chopped scallions fell into the pot in neat little piles. "Perfect," she commented.

Soujiro beamed.

She patted her knees once, briskly. "And that's all you need to do."

"Oh? That's all?" He looked up at her as she rose to her feet.

"The pot will cook the food, and the customers have the ability to make it as raw or cooked as they wish. Of course you'll be walking back and forth through the restaurant as you help your other tables, so you'll be hailed with questions or requests every once in a while." She dug into the pocket of her apron and pulled out her small notebook. "Which is why," she said, handing it to Soujiro, "you will need one of these."

"Oh no, I can remember just fine - "

Yahiko scoffed. "You idiot. You don't even know what it's like to be a server on the floor. Sure, your memory's fine with just one table to take care of. But what about six? Ten?" He nodded to the notebook in Tae's hand. "If you know what's good for ya, you'll take it."

Soujiro gave the paper a look, but didn't say anything.

"You don't have to use it if you don't want to, but have it with you just in case." Tae waggled the notebook enticingly but Soujiro still didn't move. Stifling a sigh, she dropped it into his lap. "A third of the restaurant is a large percentage to be responsible for," she said, "and it'll help. You'll see."

"A third..." His head whipped around. "You are not a waitress, Tae-san?"

"Not anymore." She looked toward the screen at the front of the restaurant - her usual post during the meal hours. "I'm the hostess. I seat the customers, handle the payment, and sometimes I do help with the tables, but that's what the waitresses are for."

"And waiter!" Tsubame put in brightly.

"And waiter," Tae amended.

* * *

During dinner, Tae spent every spare moment watching how Soujiro was doing. Tsubame had halved her section with Soujiro, and he moved from table to table tirelessly, constantly smiling with no effort at all. Yahiko trailed behind Soujiro a step behind, arms crossed and looking stone-faced. Every once in a while, when they came close enough and Tae wasn't busy, she could hear the conversation that they seemed to be carrying out in a soft monotone.

"You don't need to follow me so closely, Yahiko-san," Soujiro protested once, early on.

"Yeah, I do," Yahiko grunted. "I need to make sure you don't make a mistake."

"I won't. But having you so close is a little strange."

"Deal with it."

In between seating some newly-arrived customers and giving change for the dinner, Yahiko said, "did you have to stand there and watch as I moved all the boxes out of your room?"

"You didn't ask for any help," Soujiro responded innocently.

Yahiko's only reply was a sigh of disgust.

A little while later, Soujiro said, "you look like a bodyguard."

"Why d'you say that?"

"Because you do. Your arms are crossed and you look angry."

"Whatever. I don't care." But the next time Tae saw him, a few minutes later, his hands hung down by his side.

After that, things got quite busy. Tae had to help Hana carry extra trays of tea to an especially large party, then plates of food after that. Then a small child at one of Kanako's tables dropped their chopsticks and Tae went to fetch another pair from the kitchen. As she approached, she heard Soujiro's soft voice coming from just inside.

"You seem pretty irritable, Yahiko-kun."

"Yeah, well, I am."

"At me?"

"At Tae-san, but she pays me, so I'm taking it out on you."

Soujiro laughed a little. "That's a silly thing to do. Being angry wastes a lot of energy and time."

"Shut up, I don't need advice from you," he ground out peevishly.

Trying not to smirk, Tae swept into the kitchen. "You should take his advice, Yahiko. You never know when your employer might be walking past."

"You see?" Soujiro grinned serenely at Yahiko, who was torn between embarrassment and annoyance. He picked up his tray and swept out, followed by Yahiko, who sent a glowering look over his shoulder before he, too, left the room.

"I like the new guy," Nizuno declared, as soon as they were gone.

"Oh?" Tae went to their stash of chopsticks and plucked a pair at random from the pile.

"Yeah, and he's bold enough to goad the boy who's caught a thousand blades," Urato added, elbowing Nizuno in the stomach. "Not many people try to mess with Yahiko nowadays."

"It's like the old days," Nizuno said, sharing a look with Urato.

"You two make no sense sometimes," Tae said. She rolled her eyes, heading for the door.

"I'm serious," Nizuno called to her. "Yahiko's gonna want to fight the kid someday, believe me. And that's something I wanna see."

"What?" Tae stopped with her foot on the threshold. She twisted around to look at them. "It won't ever come to that. They'll get along, you'll see."

Urato shook his head. "Not like that, Tae-san. _Fight. _To test your worth against someone else. Not because you hate each other , but because you _have _to."

"D'you think Soujiro's been trained in a style of swordsmanship?" Nizuno mused, raising his eyebrows.

"I guess we'll find out eventually."

Tae was looking at them with the best unimpressed expression she could muster. "Fight 'not because you hate each other, but because you _have _to'?" She echoed flatly.

"Sure," Urato said. "It's a man thing, Tae-san. Obviously you wouldn't understand."

"Obviously." She looked between the chefs, an arched eyebrow the only sign of her displeasure. "But I'm sure it won't come to such extreme measures," she said, her tone allowing for no further discussion. "This is a restaurant, remember, not a dojo."

Nizuno and Urato had no reply for her - not that she expected one. She swept out of the room, leaving their silly conversation and pointless conjecture behind.

* * *

_Tae is an interesting woman._

Soujiro watched her in small, stolen glances. She had waited to eat until the main floor of the restaurant had emptied, waited until the rest of her staff had filled their bowls before serving herself. It was a conscious decision, he knew, to deprive oneself of the needs of life - to ignore the hunger that gnawed at the stomach and stretched the temper thin. He had been in many situations like that himself in the past few years, when his coin became scarce and food scarcer. But her self-mastery was not what interested Soujiro: it was the way Tae was still so generous, so unerringly polite. The way she still smiled.

And it was that smile that both intrigued and unnerved him.

He had overheard many times what people thought of his smile. During his travels, he'd heard merchants comment, "what a nice young man," and innkeeper's wives confess, "he just seems like someone I can trust," and "how rare to meet such a kind stranger!"

And even before that, when he was with Shishio-san, things were similar. When meeting the members of the Juppongatana for the first time, he was initially met with a scattering of derision, disbelief - or awed adoration, in Kamatari's case. But his favorite remark came from Sadojima Hoji, when Shishio-san first introduced them.

Soujiro had watched silently as Hoji's polite expression swiftly changed from cordiality to shock. "T-This is Seta Soujiro?" Hoji had asked, glancing quickly back at Shishio to see if he was joking. Which was silly; Shishio never joked about the strength he possessed.

"That's right," Soujiro had chirped, watching the man curiously as his face turned steadily paler.

"B-But..." Hoji looked from Shishio's coldly amused expression back to Soujiro. "But... that smile...!"

Which Soujiro supposed summed up his expression quite nicely.

Tae's chopsticks were halfway to her mouth when the noodles slithered out of their hold and plopped back into her bowl. She gaped at her empty chopsticks for a moment - just long enough for the chefs, Tsubame and Yahiko to burst into laughter - before sighing good-naturedly and fishing for them again.

Soujiro followed the movement of her hands, noting how they were graceful without meaning to be. Some people - very few people - were obliviously kind by nature: gentle and nonjudgmental from birth, without even trying to be. Tsubame was a little bit like that, Soujiro thought; with a naivety that shone on her face, it was clear she could not feign cruelty even if she tried. That sort of purity was what drew Yahiko to her, Soujiro supposed, along with all the other young men Tsubame unwittingly attracted.

Soujiro had tried very much to appear that way all his life, and to maintain the illusion of simple brightness. He was not naturally benign to begin with, though. And neither was Tae.

But Tae wasn't like him. _We aren't similar_, he told himself. _In no way are we comparable._

Yet his mind thought back to when Tae had laughed, defusing the tension he had created in his first moments with Yahiko - the first impression he had nearly _ruined_, he reminded himself, because he hadn't anticipated how his blithe teasing might unnerve the boy. Tae had laughed, calming everything. Not because she thought it was funny, as she'd claimed, but to manipulate the situation. To change Yahiko's perception of him. To fix things.

Soujiro had felt the shifts in her ki, understood the pretended humor too well because _he_ had done the same.

He was pretending the charade, every day.

Tae was not like him. Not in any way.

But in her smile...

_"That smile...!"_

Soujiro lowered his eyes. He brought his teacup to his lips and drank slowly. He would simply have to observe her more, he decided. Perhaps there were more reasons he couldn't see or didn't understand yet. It was only his first day, after all. It was too soon to be able to comprehend the mechanics behind people's actions.

It was true, but didn't make him feel any better.

A distant shoji slid open then closed from the front of the restaurant, and Soujiro's head snapped toward it before he could catch himself. He saw from the corner of his eye that Yahiko had turned in the same moment and they glanced at each other, Yahiko in surprise, Soujiro ruefully.

"I'm back!" A voice called, and Soujiro identified him as Sekihara Kosuke, Tae's father.

Tae hurriedly put down her bowl and rushed to the kitchen door to meet him. "Welcome back, Otōsan," she said, bowing respectfully.

His cheeks were pink with exertion and the cold. He bowed back to Tae, a little awkwardly around the broad box in his arms. "Thank you," he said. "I apologize for missing dinner."

"Oh, don't worry, I've saved you what's left," Tae said, motioning to a gently steaming bowl beside the tea kettle.

"You are too kind." His ki was clearer now, Soujiro noted with an internal smile; it seemed that all that walking around had helped make him sober.

"Ah, but before I forget - " Kosuke nodded to Soujiro " - I've come back with your new uniform. Here." He held out the paper box. "Go try it on and show us how it looks."

"You are too generous," Soujiro murmured, stepping forward to accept the box. It was light, as he expected, but he waited until he was in the privacy of his new chamber before opening it to see.

They were Western clothing pieces, just has he had feared. The starched, collared white long-sleeved shirt wouldn't be a problem - he quite favored those, actually - but it was the double-breasted waistcoat, black fitted pants and dress socks with matching leather shoes that worried him. Soujiro held up the pants against his legs, unable to prevent the small frown from crossing his face. He supposed he would get used to it - Hoji had once mentioned that after wearing them for so long, he preferred the Western trousers to hakama - but he didn't particularly _want _to.

Well. If this was what he had to wear to stay at the Akabeko, then he would wear it.

When Soujiro reappeared in the kitchen, the conversation stalled as everyone turned to look at him. Sekihara Kosuke flashed Soujiro with a satisfied smile. "Ah, yes. The tailor did a fine job, didn't he?" He stepped forward and tugged on one snowy sleeve experimentally. "Yes, very fine. I've requested a few more matching pants and shirts, but they won't be ready for a few days. What do you think, Soujiro-san?"

He pulled down at the charcoal-grey waistcoat. It was a little big, but he didn't mind the extra room. "It's a little different than what I'm used to, but I suppose I'll manage. Thank you, Sekihara-san. You are too kind."

"The kid'll fit right in," one of the chefs commented.

"In more than one way," he thought he heard the other mutter.

Soujiro looked up at Tae in time to see her wipe a pensive look off her face. Soujiro started to wonder what the chefs meant and then realized: Tae's uniform was navy blue, while the three other waitresses wore crimson. If his uniform matched anyone's, it was Tae's.

As if reading Soujiro's thoughts, Kosuke asked Tae, "and what do you think?"

She bent her head. "Very fine, Otōsan."

"The waistcoat does need to be adjusted, don't you think?" He cast her a sideways look.

Tae bent her head again and silently walked around behind Soujiro. He felt her hands fiddling with the strap behind his back - a detail he had noticed in passing, but hadn't thought of since.

"I suppose I didn't bother to fit it to my size once I put it on," Soujiro explained, glancing over his shoulder. "I'm sorry about that."

"I don't think you can actually fit it to yourself while you're wearing it," she murmured, focused on the task. "Try that - still too loose?"

He rolled his shoulders and stretched out his arms. "Yup."

The crowd in the kitchen lost interest and began to talk amongst themselves. Yahiko was speaking to Tsubame in an undertone, while Kanako was relating some earlier event with a customer to Hana, the two chefs, and Tae's father.

"Western fashions are a funny thing," Tae remarked softly. "They reveal so much of the shape of our bodies. They were strange at first, but I'm almost used to it now."

"Is that so?" He hadn't really noticed it, but he could see what she meant.

"Yes. I mean, I wouldn't have realized that you're so fit, Soujiro-san, unless..." She sucked in her breath in mortification, her fingers suddenly still against his spine. _Speaking from the heart again? _Soujiro wondered musingly.

"Well," she said a moment later, "you know what I mean."

Her hands were warm against his back. It was an odd feeling, knowing that it was Tae who was standing so close, touching him. He hadn't been touched for a long time. "I do," he replied lightly.

Tae paused for a moment longer, then gave a final tug on the fabric. "How's that?"

He rotated his arms, testing that the fabric didn't cling too close to his chest. It didn't. "You made it just right," he said, turning to face her. "Thank you very much."

Soujiro half-expected Tae to be blushing, but any sign of self-consciousness at her blunder was gone. "No need to thank me," she said, offering a small smile. "The uniform makes it official, now."

_Official indeed, _he thought, and smiled.

* * *

That first night in the Akabeko was strange for Soujiro.

The room alone would have delayed his sleep; with all the boxes removed, it was quite bigger than he had originally pictured and he was aware of all the empty space that was _his_ now. That would be something to get used to.

No, it was the knowledge of the other occupants in the attic rooms that kept him staring up at the ceiling beams hours after everyone else had dropped into sleep. It wasn't just their strong ki, even in sleep - it was that he knew Tsubame, Hana, and Tsubame now, so they weren't just _people_ he could ignore. It had been several years since he had slept near people that he was familiar with: several years since he hadn't needed to be on his guard, aware of the possibility he might be found and killed in the night.

And he wasn't used to being so _close_ to another person. Soujiro rolled onto his side and stared at the wall that separated his room from Tae's. She really was quite near. Even in sleep, her ki was almost burning in the stillness. If he focused hard enough, he wondered if he could sense her breathing in the darkness

Soujiro sighed discontentedly. He supposed that was just something else he would have to get used to.

It was many hours before he was finally able to fall asleep.


	4. Wry Music

**A/N: Hello, all!**

**This stupid little wordbeast of a chapter fought me the entire way. And, combined with an explosion of stuff at work, that's the reason why this chapter is late.  
**

**Tell me if it's not good and I'll pummel it some more. **

* * *

**Chapter Three: Wry Music**

Soujiro was naturally an early riser, but to his chagrin, he slept later than anyone else at the Akabeko. He rushed through the steps to put on his complicated uniform, mentally counting the ki in the building. Everyone was down in the kitchen - the chefs, the wait staff, even Sekihara-san - everyone but _him._ He smothered his annoyance as he left his room and strode down the hallway. Tae was kind enough; perhaps she would not be too displeased since, after all, this was his second day.

He appeared in the kitchen doorway, his smile already in place, but the sight made him pause. Everyone was gathered around one of the pots by the fireplace, and Soujiro could smell the comforting aroma of dashi and kombu: miso soup for breakfast.

"Ah!" Tsubame noticed him and waved brightly. "Good morning, Soujiro-san!"

Other heads turned his way, and he nodded in reply. "Good morning."

"Would you like some miso?" Tae called, gesturing over the heads of Kanako and Hana at the pot.

"No, I can get some myself."

Tae brought over a bowl anyway and pushed it into his hands. "It's a long time until lunch," she explained, shrugging under his wry smile. "If you don't get some now, it'll all be eaten. Especially after Yahiko-chan gets here."

He stirred the broth around with his spoon. The heat from the soup was seeping through the sides of the bowl, warming his fingers. "And you, Tae-san?"

She blinked at him, and Soujiro realized that the apology he had meant to give hadn't come out. He gestured to the crowd, trying to hide his surprise at himself. "For eating," explained. "Don't you need to eat as well, before Yahiko-san - ?"

"Oh, he'll save me some," she said, and there was a knowing glint in her eye. "We've had an experience in the past, and he _will_ save me some food."

She spoke matter-of-factly, and Soujiro found himself wondering what Tae had done to Yahiko when he'd thoughtlessly neglected her. Then he realized he was staring and promptly bowed his head. "Forgive me, Tae-san," he said. "I didn't mean to sleep so long. I guess I was quite tired last night."

Tae smiled. "No trouble at all! A new schedule does take some getting used to."

"Indeed." Tae's father came up behind them, bowl in hand, and Soujiro bowed again. "Other areas of employment are not so ruthless to their workers. I hope it will not be too much trouble for you to get used to."

"None at all," Soujiro replied brightly.

Sekihara-san sipped at his soup. "You seem like a man after my own heart, Soujiro-san," he said, and sighed wistfully. "I wish we could choose our own hours to wake from sleep."

Tae arched an eyebrow at her father, but said nothing.

"It's best to wake up early, even when you don't have to," Soujiro said. He shrugged. "You get so much more done if you do."

"Oh?" Sekihara-san queried. "Did your last employment allow you such freedoms?"

"Actually, I was a wanderer for the last few years," he said.

Tae and her father blinked in surprise. Tsubame leaned around Tae to gape at Soujiro. "Did you really, Soujiro-san?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yep, sure did."

"Like Himura-san." Tsubame looked up at Tae and they shared a look. "A rurouni, like Himura-san."

"That's true." Tae turned back to face him and she was smiling now, wider than before. Her ki was brighter, too - she was _happier_, Soujiro realized, since he'd revealed that he was a traveler. Why would that change...?

No. Her smile had only become real when he had been compared to the Battousai.

Soujiro studied Tae as she turned to chat with her father. Tsubame was acquainted with Himura-san through Yahiko, that he knew. And it was public knowledge that the Akabeko was the restaurant of choice for the Himura family, so of course Tae would have seen Himura-san, even conversed with him, perhaps. Soujiro checked her ki again to be sure - but no, he only felt bright optimism in Tae. She was not jealous of the Battousai's wife, then. But why would she be pleased at the comparison?

He filed the thought away in his mind until he could think on it further.

* * *

He was having tea in the kitchen just before they opened for lunch when he felt the stubborn ki of Kanako coming closer, growing steadily clearer. A few moments later, he heard her quick footsteps approach.

"Soujiro-san," she said.

Soujiro smiled. He'd known she would come to him sooner or later. That challenge he'd felt yesterday and the strong suspicions that she'd worn openly were still there, buried beneath a cool assurance of herself. Someone with that inclination, that bold and baseless _belief_ in themselves, could not simply step back and leave him alone. A few of the Juppongatana members were like that, too - especially Cho. It was only after several rousing defeats that Cho had admitted that Soujiro was not a fluke or simply lucky; he deserved to stand by Shishio's side.

Not that Kanako would plan to take Cho's route to test him, though.

He took his time swallowing the rest of his tea before turning to face her. "Yes, Taniguchi-san? How can I help you?"

"Tae-san would like you to shadow me from now on," she said, looking unfazed by the broad grin on his face. "Since my section will become yours, it's time you became familiar with which tables you are responsible for waiting on."

"Of course," he said, and followed her out onto the main floor. Near the main doors of the restaurant, Tsubame glanced back at them curiously, then returned to sweeping the mats.

"Tae seats customers in a pattern," Kanako said, pointing. "First is Tsubame's section at the front, then mine, then Hana's. Ideally, we should all have equal tables that are occupied in our sections."

"Ideally," Soujiro agreed.

"Sometimes we have regular customers come in, like the Ishidas or the Himuras, or even single customers like Sagara-san."

He hid his amusement. Ah. Well, he'd wondered what happened to the man with aku marked on his back. He supposed it was too much to speculate that the fool had somehow killed himself in the last few years. "Do they come in often?" he asked.

"Sagara-san is rather unpredictable," she said. She faced the sea of rectangular tables, one hand tangled up in her hair. "The Ishidas do, but the Himuras haven't been out since they had their second child."

_Second...?_ Soujiro started a little, taken aback despite himself. He shouldn't have been surprised; he'd known the Battousai was married, and children did seem to inevitably follow afterwards. If his wife was a beautiful woman, then it would be even more understandable.

But still, two children seemed a little excessive.

"Ah," Soujiro murmured, feigning detachment.

Across the room, Tsubame opened the front doors and stepped outside to continue sweeping. The moment she vanished from view, Soujiro felt a spike in Kanako's ki. "Alright," she said, turning to face him. "I know you're hiding something. What is it?"

He looked at her. "Hide?" he echoed innocently.

"That's right." She nodded her chin at him. "I saw your speed yesterday. I would have run into you if you hadn't moved aside in time - "

"I do my best," he interrupted cheerfully.

" - faster than I could see," she finished in a hard voice. "That's not a skill that comes naturally."

"It did to me," he answered truthfully.

"You're not answering my question."

"What question is that?"

Kanako glared fiercely. "What is a swordsman doing as a waiter in a sukiyaki restaurant?"

Soujiro had to admit, the girl was perceptive. He hadn't expected anyone to figure it out so soon. "I don't have a sword," he said obviously, holding out his hands as if to show her.

As he'd hoped, he'd embarrassed her. She flushed. "But I _know _you are," she said stubbornly. "My brother was a swordsman, and he moved just like you. If you don't tell me what you're really doing here, I'll tell Tae-san."

He smiled at her, suppressing a laugh with some effort. Was she honestly planning to blackmail him? "How boring!" He said cheerfully. "It's not a secret. Tell Tae-san now, if you want to."

Her eyes flashed. "Maybe I will," she declared, but her bold words betrayed the flicker of unease that had trickled into her ki. "You're not one of the swordsmen that the Meiji era has set adrift - there's something off about you. It's too simple, you being here. Why? What do you want?"

Now he did let himself laugh, a small, mocking chuckle. "You are so eloquent, Taniguchi-san. I'm afraid I can't answer with the same kind of beauty."

Her eyes widened in fury. She opened her mouth to respond when Tae suddenly emerged from the kitchen and strode past them, calling after Tsubame. Soujiro followed her with his eyes, noticing odd little things that he never had before: the ripple of her apron strings as she strode away, twirling backwards like a ribbon blown in the wind. How graceful and silent her steps were on the mat floor. How even though she was here, in her restaurant, in her home, there was still an air of cool confidence in place that never seemed to waver.

Never, but for that day five years ago.

The one day that had convinced him to come back.

"Soujiro-san," Kanako said, and his head snapped around. She had ducked her head and was slowly raising it again, her eyes flickering up to meet his. "I suppose this has no meaning for you, but I do not trust you."

He shrugged, trying to rouse himself from his distant thoughts. He made his voice sound amused. "Is trust so very important?"

She swallowed. "It is to Tae-san."

Soujiro blinked. _Naturally, _he wanted to say, with words light on his tongue, but he couldn't. His jaw clenched and he couldn't make himself utter the phrase. _How strange, _he thought, distantly surprised at his reaction. _Odd that such a simple statement could confound my control._

When Soujiro did not reply, Kanako nodded slowly. She looked as though she might say something more, and then she paused. Her eyes darted to look over his shoulder and she took a step back. He felt the confidence in her ki shrink and withdraw, and she inclined her head hastily then turned away.

"Soujiro-san," Tae said, coming up behind him. "We - oh, where did Kanako-chan go?"

He turned to face her. "Back to the kitchen, I suppose."

"Ah. Well, we're going to open soon." She glanced at him then looked again, her eyes sharpening. Soujiro watched as she reached toward him, fingers outstretched, and for a split moment he thought she was going to touch him.

Tae seemed to realize what she was doing and recoiled. She curled her fingers into a fist. "I'm sorry," she said, and used her other hand to motion to her collar. "It's twisted under - no, other side," she amended when his hand flew to adjust the wrong edge of the starched fabric. She smiled slightly and nodded once when he looked back up at her. "Much better."

Yumi-san would have just fixed it, Soujiro thought as Tae moved off toward the kitchen. She would have sighed, rolled her eyes and muttered something about 'maintaining those good looks' and just shoved his collar back into place.

But Tae-san didn't know him that well, yet. That must have been why she didn't touch him.

He wouldn't have minded, though.

The thought took him by surprise. _Tae-san can't hurt me, _he rationalized to himself. _No one, not even Yahiko-san can stand up to me._ _There has never been hostility in Tae-san's ki, so naturally I've had no need to be defensive -_

But that wasn't all. Not really.

Soujiro knew himself, now, better than he thought he'd known anyone - even Shishio-san. And in the past few years of wandering, he had come to believe himself. Trust himself.

He wouldn't have minded Tae's touch, and that was the truth.

A smile tugged at his face, at the irony of the situation. He had meant for this to work the other way around and yet, somehow...

Well. He'd just have to work faster.

* * *

Sekihara Kosuke joined his daughter at the front of the restaurant, ignoring the polite half-bow she automatically sent his way. "It seems to be a rather steady evening," he observed, just loud enough to be heard above the soft murmur of conversation.

Tae nodded. "Yes, it is."

"How is Soujiro-san settling in?"

She gave him a side look, and he caught the amusement in her eyes. "You've been here all this week," she said. "I know you've been watching him, too."

He shrugged, feigning airy unconcern. "I want to know what you've seen."

Tae looked out over the open seating area. "He took over Kanako's waiting responsibilities a few days ago - "

"The transition?"

"Seamless." She shot him another quick look, to show she was aware of his pretended carelessness. "He has made no mistakes that I can think of; he never confused any of the orders, he is prompt with his deliveries, and I have never seen him react with anything but polite cordiality toward the customers."

"I see."

"In fact..." She paused, then went on. "In fact, I've had several customers who spoke very highly of his service to me when they left the restaurant. Not only that, but a few have mentioned..."

"Yes?" He prompted when she hesitated again.

Tae frowned. She took a small breath and stiffened, looking straight ahead. "A few have mentioned that they approve of his handsome face."

He stared at Tae, amazed. "They _said_ that to you, Tae?"

"Not directly to me, no, but I've heard it more than a few times in the week that he's been here."

He gazed at her for a moment, trying to understand why she seemed so displeased. Then he smirked. "I told you that a handsome man would bring more custom."

"So you did, Otōsan." Her eyes narrowed slightly, and Kosuke turned to follow her gaze. As if he could hear their conversation, Soujiro-san had looked up from across the room. He smiled at Tae and inclined his head slightly to Kosuke before turning to address a table.

"And you are not pleased about it," Kosuke said to his daughter.

"I'm just annoyed, that's all," she said, still staring after Soujiro.

He raised his eyebrows. Tae was usually so collected; she really must have been irked to admit it aloud. "Why? That I was right? That people chose to come here because of Soujiro-san? Because he is handsome?"

Tae whipped around, her arched brows furrowed into a scowl. "Otōsan," she hissed.

"It was just a question." He blinked back innocently.

"Is that all you wanted to ask?"

"Well, no." He held her gaze for a long moment before looking away. "Have you begun teaching him English?"

"We've had two lessons. He's a fast learner."

The clipped responses now. He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Does he not get along with your staff?" he asked bluntly.

She sighed. "It's fine, Otōsan. Everyone seems to like him, and even Yahiko is warming to him."

"Do you not get along with him?"

"No, he's fine. He's..." Tae searched for the words and, finding none, simply shrugged. "He's fine."

"Hm." It was an odd response, to be sure. He told himself to ask about Soujiro later, after he'd been at the Akabeko for a few months. "How is Kanako?"

"Very well, I think. She packed her things this morning and is planning to leave tomorrow morning on the train."

"I see." Kosuke nodded. It would work out perfectly, then. "And I shall leave with her."

"O-Oh?" She stared at him with wide eyes. "But you haven't mentioned leaving before. Why have you suddenly decided to go now?"

He rolled his shoulders, shrugging. "You don't need me here, Tae. And you know how much I hate goodbyes."

Tae rolled her eyes. "Sae mentioned how abruptly your last visit ended. I suppose I should have expected it."

"I try to keep my children on their toes." He grinned as she scoffed in mock frustration. "But really, Tae, I meant what I said. You've done extraordinarily here - more than I'd ever hoped. Not even a new hire was enough to shake your conviction. You've been nothing but professional and confident, and it's made the Akabeko stronger for it. I'm very pleased."

Tae stared at him, her face frozen between wide-eyed surprise and shy pride. "I... thank you, Otōsan," she murmured.

"Don't go all bashful on me," he chided teasingly. He reached up and squeezed her elbow reassuringly. "The Akabeko is yours, and I would have no one else have mastery of it but you. I've always known you'd do well, Tae."

Tae bowed her head and covered his hand with hers. "Thank you for your faith in me," she whispered.

He smiled at her. "Of course," he said lightly, "that doesn't mean I won't still expect you to write me letters about the Akabeko. The Shirobeko doesn't get off easy, and neither will you."

Her head dipped lower, and he could tell that she was smiling in return. "Say hello to all of them for me," she said.

"Of course," he said again.

"And Sae. Tell her... give her my best wishes."

The smile slipped a little on his face. "You could tell her that yourself," he said gently.

Tae shrugged and turned away, breaking his hold on her arm. Her lips were tipped upward - not a true smile any longer, but a wide one nonetheless. He had taught her that smile, long ago. "We both know my feelings about that," she murmured.

Kosuke nodded. "Yes," he said, though he wished he understood them.

* * *

Soujiro was filling a teapot with hot water when he felt Yahiko approach. "Tsubame told me something interesting the other day," he said casually, his arms loosely crossed over his chest.

Yahiko's ki did not feel _casual_, no matter how he tried to sound. Soujiro flicked his eyes up at the boy then away. He poured airy curiosity into his voice. "Oh? What was that, Yahiko-san?"

"That you were a wanderer for a while."

"It's true." The pot filled, he sent Yahiko a smile as he turned to place it on the tray beside the tea cups. "For the last few years, I was a wanderer."

Yahiko waited a few moments before replying. "Huh. Guess I was wrong - I wouldn't have guessed you'd be the wandering type."

"I didn't know there was a type of personality that wanderers needed to have."

"Oh, I didn't mean that. I just... it seems that all the great men I've ever known have wandered at some point in their lives."

Soujiro turned to face him. "Is that so?"

Yahiko opened his mouth to reply, but one of the chefs spoke over him. "Hang on, hang on," Nizuno said, waving his knife in a dismissive motion. "I can't help overhearing what you're saying - "

Urato sniggered.

" - and I just have to say, if being a wanderer means you're a great man, then you're wrong about the kid."

Soujiro tilted his head to the side, waiting, while Yahiko groaned. "Hey now, that isn't what I meant at all - "

"Yeah," Urato added, "he isn't a man at all, 'cause he's still a kid!"

The two chefs burst into laughter. Yahiko rolled his eyes. "You've told jokes about his age all week long," he said. "Aren't you two tired of telling them?"

"Nope," Nizuno said cheerfully. "In fact, we've thought up a nickname for the kid."

"Ugh! That's it, I've had it." Yahiko scrubbed a hand through his hair and strode away. "Never mind, Soujiro-san, we'll talk about it later."

Soujiro turned to watch him leave. Nizuno waited until the moment Yahiko disappeared through the doorway before letting out an excited breath. "As I was saying, Soujiro-san, it's original, okay? So indulge us: Sou. How's that for a nickname?"

He blinked. Nizuno and Urato blinked back, expressions of hopeful amusement barely contained on their faces. "Ahh," Soujiro said eventually and smiled. "Actually, I've already had someone use that nickname for me."

"Aw, what? Really?" Urato blew out his breath in a huff, stirring the side of his bangs. "You sure?"

"Yep, pretty sure."

Yumi called him Sou the most. She told him once that she quite liked nicknames, and had a secret one for Hoji that she'd refused to tell him. Every once in a while, when Shishio was relaxed or in a good mood, he used to call Soujiro 'Sou' too. And Hoji... well, he used it too, as a way to prove he fitted in with their intimate circle, but Soujiro had never responded to the name from him.

Funny - out of all the nicknames the chefs could pick, they'd chosen that one.

"I thought you were going to name me something that had to do with my young face," Soujiro said, picking up his tray.

"You aren't the only young boy that we mess with here," Nizuno said, nodding to the doorway where Yahiko had just vanished.

"Besides, there's always our first nickname for you," Urato put in, sounding as if the answer were obvious. "You'll always be 'the kid', no matter if you get a not-so-new nickname."

Soujiro only smiled. "Fair enough," he said easily, and swept out of the room.

* * *

Everything was packed. Her bags stood by the door, waiting for the morning. The room was cleaner than she had seen it in a long time, at least in her time of living in the Akabeko. It was odd, knowing this would be her last night in the restaurant. It had become more like her home than her actual home, and she was sad to be leaving.

But that night, the only emotion she felt was seething anger.

The others had gone to sleep hours ago. She had listened as the muffled, nocturnal noises slowly tapered off and vanished altogether, and she knew she was the only one awake. When she judged that enough time had passed that she judged she wouldn't accidentally wake them, she'd sat up, pulled over her little writing tray and lit a candle.

It was silly, she knew. She should be sleeping, really she should - she'd be exhausted tomorrow, and she hated traveling anyway - but she had to do _something._

She did not trust Soujiro.

Kanako thought she'd made that clear to him on his second day. Any other person might have come back to her with a list of their stellar qualities, explained the reasons or history why he'd been dishonest in the first place, or even apologized and begged for her to understand. She had threatened his job, after all; that was his livelihood, not to mention his dignity, on the line.

But she had not mentioned it to Tae.

And Soujiro never mentioned the conversation again, either. Kanako waited for a delayed response in the following days where he continued to shadow her, but it never came. He didn't even _act _like the threat had bothered him at all!

There was something more to Soujiro. There must be. A traveling swordsman didn't just decide to work as a waiter in one of the numberless restaurants in Tokyo in a passing fit of fancy. What of his pride as a swordsman? What about keeping his skills sharp? And where was his sword, come to think of it? Didn't he care that that side of him would eventually be forgotten, his years of training wasted?

He did care, though.

He tried not to show it, but he did. Soujiro had made an excuse for his speed and tried to hide it. That meant he still minded quite a bit.

Which brought her back to her original question: why was Soujiro in the Akabeko? What did he want?

She still didn't trust him.

And that was why she decided to write a letter. _I have to tell someone, _she thought, dipping her brush into the small pot of ink. _Someone needs to know about Soujiro._

So even though she would see him soon, she decided to write a note to her brother. There was a strong chance that he would not get it before she arrived - it would take a few days to return home - but she hoped he would. He _had _to.

_Onisan, _she wrote, the pen scurrying across the page as the words flowed into her mind. _Forgive the directness and informality of this letter, but it is of utmost importance. A mystery has arisen that worries me greatly, and it is your knowledge of the sword and those who wield it that will help me to solve it._

_ There is a man here at the Akabeko who I believe is a swordsman of considerable skill. He brought no weapon that I know of, but I have seen his speed at close quarters and he constantly wears a smile whose chill would transfix a beating heart. At our introduction, I was not told his family name. His given name, though, I can supply: Soujiro._

If anyone could help her, Kanako thought, it would be her brother.


	5. All Ill-at-Ease

**A/N: Oh, the things I do for you people.**

**As I'm writing this, my laptop clock says 12:06 am. And, no lie, it's my birthday.**

**(So post a review? Pretty please? :D)**

**There's good stuff in this chapter - some KenKao facetime (and little Shinta!), some backstory on Tae, and Soujiro attempting some romance. What more could you ask for?**

* * *

**Chapter Four: All Ill-at-Ease  
**

Tae waited until most of the lunch crowd had cleared from the restaurant before making her move. She darted between the tables, nodding briefly to Soujiro as he gave her his customary smile, then slipped into the kitchen. Urato glanced at up when she appeared in the doorway, then elbowed Nizuno. "Tae-san," Nizuno greeted in surprise. "Have all the customers left?"

"No, there are still a few that remain," she said, clasping her hands together.

"Ahh, okay." Urato was looking at her a little oddly, and Tae wondered if she was looking too expectant. "Then, did you need something?"

"Actually, yes. Could you please prepare a double portion of everything - "

"Ah," Urato said again, breathing out the word as a sigh. "I know what you're getting at."

"Going visiting then, are you?" Nizuno teased, tapping the tip of one of his knives against the bamboo chopping board. "Huh... now that I think about it, it has been a while since you went."

"Since before Sou came," Urato agreed.

Tae opened her mouth to reply, but the nickname caught her off-guard. "You mean Soujiro-san," she said.

"Yeah. _Sou_."

She gave them both a displeased look. "Why do you call him that? You make him sound like a child."

"Well, he _is _short - he only comes to your shoulder," Nizuno began.

Urato cut across him. "Sou doesn't care, Tae-san. He said so. Besides, we have nicknames for everyone here except for you, 'cause your name can't get any shorter."

"And we know, we know: you don't like nicknames," Nizuno said, giving his companion a bored look.

Tae didn't like to argue, really she didn't. But the glance they shared - as though they were almost annoyed with her preferences - made her want to defend herself. "Because it isn't professional," she said, keeping her voice low and calm. "And I wouldn't mind the name-calling so much if - "

"Nicknames are not the same thing as name-calling!" Urato interjected indignantly.

" - if you did not include our customers in your habit," she said, straightening her spine.

They both looked at her blankly. "If you mean Sano - "

"Sanosuke-san," she corrected stiffly.

The chefs grinned at each other. "But _no one_ calls him that," Nizuno said, and she could tell from his voice that he was trying hard not to laugh. "Just you."

She shook her head stubbornly. "But the point is - "

Now they did burst into laughter. Tae scowled at them for a long moment, and then slowly let out her breath in a sigh. She threw up her hands, giving up the argument. "Just prepare the food, that's all I care about," she told them. "I'll go ask Tsubame - "

"Yes, Tae-san?" Tsubame's tentative voice asked behind her.

Tae turned to face the young girl, her smile sliding into place. "Tsubame-chan, would you like to come with me to visit Kenshin-san and Kaoru-chan?"

Her eyes grew as wide as tea saucers. "You're going now?"

"While it is still the lunch hour, yes," she said.

A bright smile filled Tsubame's face. "I would! I really would!"

"How many tables do you have left?"

"Just two, Tae-san. But they should be done soon, I think."

"Alright, then." Tae nodded toward the main floor of the restaurant. "Ask Hana-chan if she will watch your tables for you. As soon as the food is ready, we'll leave."

Tsubame bobbed her head and scurried off. Behind Tae, Urato drawled, "do you think Kaoru-san will let her see the new baby this time?"

Tae whirled around. "How did you know about that?" She asked, glaring at the shared amusement on the chef's faces.

"Kaoru-san's fierce protectiveness of her children is legendary," Nizuno said. He arched an eyebrow as he sliced up some cabbage, his hands a blur of movement. "Don't you remember when Kenji was born? She didn't come out in public for half a year. And even then, when anyone got too close to her child, she went all Kamiya Kasshin style on them and her husband had to pull her off."

Tae winced, remembering. That hadn't been a happy day at the Akabeko.

"It's only been a few months since she had her last child," Urato reminded her. He carried the strips of beef and noodles to the pot on the other side of the counter and carefully laid them out to cook. "Do you think she's gotten any less defensive this time around?"

"She was very courteous last time," Tae defended meekly. It was true: Kaoru had been very polite - but then, Tae hadn't tried to get very close.

The chefs snorted at her response.

"She was," Tae insisted. She watched Nizuno as he poured the diced vegetables in beside the meat, artfully shuffling the food around so nothing overlapped. "I suppose I understand," she mused, brushing her hair idly away from her forehead. "Your children are, well, _yours, _I suppose. A part of you. You'd want to protect them, to take care of them, especially since they were so little. I guess when you looked at them, you'd see aspects of you inside them, and aspects of the father. That must be a very humbling experience for Kaoru-chan."

Urato sniggered, eyeing her with a smirk. "Too bad you won't have that 'experience', since even you need to be humbled sometimes, Tae-san."

_I won't have...? _Tae's mouth fell open. For one stunned moment, she completely lost control. All of the breath left her body, and she felt unsteady on her feet. Tears pricked at her eyes and her throat threatened to close.

Nizuno swiftly looked up at her, gauging her expression. He half-raised his arm to whack Urato upside the head, but Tae quickly shook her head.

"I... suppose that you are right," she said a little breathlessly, still feeling as though she had been slapped. "Forgive me, Urato-san. I will do my best to control my ego in the future."

Urato looked up, no doubt at the hint of bitterness in her wavering voice, and Tae quickly glanced away. Abruptly she wanted to be out of the kitchen, out of the Akabeko, and away from here. She didn't really want to see Kaoru and her new child anymore, not when Urato's careless comment had shaken her so much, but she had already told Tsubame.

She wished it were spring so she could go to the back garden and sit on the bench, alone.

"Is the food almost ready?" she asked, still not looking at either of the chefs.

Nizuno answered. "Uh, almost done, Tae-san."

She nodded and turned to go. "Good. Then I'll tell Tsubame - "

Soujiro stood a few paces behind her, just inside the kitchen doorway. Tae stopped short at the sight of him. His eyes flickered up to hers, to the chefs behind her, then back to her again. "Are you alright?" He asked quietly.

"I..." _His smile, _she realized suddenly. _His smile is gone._ In just over a week that he'd been working at the Akabeko, she'd never seen him without his telltale smile. It made him look... well, different. The childish hint to his features was gone, and he looked almost serious.

_He is handsome._ She was loathe to admit it when she'd heard the customers talking or when her father had pressured her for an answer, but they were right. _He is. Quite handsome._

"Tae-san," Soujiro repeated.

Tae shook herself, knowing she was distressing him and hating her lack of self-control. She drew upon her years of mimicked courtesy and kindness and forced a smile onto her face. "Of course," she said, pouring assurance into her voice. "Perfectly."

He only blinked at her, and she wasn't sure if he was fooled or simply surprised. She supposed she should have made the change to her outward disposition more gradual, regardless of her haste. "Have you seen Tsubame-chan?" she asked.

"Yes," he said, still looking at her. "She was asking Hana-chan if she could cover the remaining tables."

_Pretend you are happy, and then you will be._ That was what her father had always told her. _And I am, _she added._ I'm going to visit Kaoru-chan and her new baby. I want to get away from the Akabeko for a while. It will be good for me._

_ That's close enough to happiness._

"Thank you, Soujiro-san," she said, and the smile she wore felt more earnest, more real than before.

Soujiro's expression shifted slightly, but before Tae could decide why, Tsubame hurried through the kitchen door. "Hana-chan said she would, Tae-san!"

Tae nodded toward the chefs. "Go pack up everything in the large lacquered box, Tsubame-chan. You know the one."

Tsubame beamed and rushed to obey. Soujiro tilted his head inquisitively. "Where are you going, Tae-san?"

"To visit a friend and her family," she answered, turning to follow Tsubame. Then she paused. "Soujiro-san," she said, looking back at him. "Would you like to come?"

"I would, yes."

Tae nodded. "Good. Then you will come with us to bring food to the Himuras."

Another expression appeared and promptly vanished, swifter than before. A bright smile broke across his face. "I would like that," he said warmly.

"Good," Tae said again, accepting the heavy box from Tsubame. She promptly turned and pushed it into his arms. "Then you will carry their meal," she said, grinning at the look of surprise that took the place of that glinting smile. "Do you still want to come?"

He nodded, the familiar childlike optimism leaking into his face once again. "Of course."

* * *

It had taken a few minutes of subtle movements and glances, but eventually Soujiro had managed to secure a position on Tae's right. Tsubame, who he supposed usually walked next to Tae, only sent him one quizzical look before retreating two steps behind them. Soujiro pretended that he hadn't noticed; he didn't care what Tsubame thought right now.

From the corner of his eye, Soujiro was watching Tae.

If he had not been there, he might not have believed it. Soujiro had never felt ki change so fast - at least, he corrected himself, not from a person that wasn't in the middle a battle, or about to initiate one. But even more curious was how abruptly she had gone from despair to good cheer. It was easy for emotions to shift to anger - Soujiro had seen that hundreds of time - but for them to transition the opposite way, and suddenly... well, that was rare. It was so uncommon that he had to think if he had met someone whose emotions had flipped so convincingly, so seamlessly. And finally he had to admit that no, he couldn't think of anyone.

Anyone except himself, of course.

The very idea of it left him somewhat... stunned.

On the way to the dojo where the Himuras lived, Tae struck up a light conversation with Tsubame, so Soujiro took advantage of her distraction to study her. If Tae had grown up differently, she might have made a fair swordsman. That skill of concealing her emotions would have helped, in addition to the fact of her sex. There were more women who studied the sword after the Meiji - Himura-san's wife was proof of that - but even ten years ago, when the era still seemed new, her gender would have been distinctive. It would have perturbed her would-be opponents, if only for a few, crucial moments.

Soujiro tilted his head slightly, examining Tae more closely. Her posture was nearly perfect for holding a sword, and she had learned to move quickly and quietly in the restaurant - another valuable skill. Her height was rather tall for a woman, but then, he mused, she could disguise herself as a man. That would change everything altogether, and to her favor.

He was trying to imagine Tae wearing hakama - and failing because of the useless and beautiful lace on her apron - when they stopped outside the main gate. Tae took the lacquered box from Soujiro and, after a slight hesitation, smiled apologetically. "It's probably best if you stay back," she said. "I'm almost certain that Kaoru-chan is not up for visitors yet, and she can be..."

"Scary!" Tsubame supplied, shivering a little. Tae nodded, and Soujiro raised his eyebrows at them. The Battousai had married a woman who was frightening?

"Yes," agreed Tae, "so forgive me, Soujiro-san. Tsubame-chan will keep you company while I visit. I won't be long."

He nodded and stepped back, but he couldn't help glancing up at the rectangular notice beside the door as he did so. The Kamiya dojo. He remembered looking at that sign the last time he'd been to Tokyo, all those years ago. _And once again,_ he thought ironically, stepping back a safe distance so he wouldn't be seen when the door opened, _I won't be going inside._

Soujiro and Tsubame looked on as Tae knocked on the door. "Kaoru-chan!" she called, "It's Tae. I've brought some food!"

When the door did not immediately open, Soujiro asked Tsubame, "do you think they've already eaten?"

"Probably, I think. But it doesn't matter," Tsubame replied cheerfully, "because Kaoru-san is always hungry!"

Soujiro blinked. A woman who was both frightening and ravenous?

The door opened. Tae's smile snapped into place - almost automatically, Soujiro noted, though it did seem natural enough - and held up the box, as if to show it off. Two hands appeared from the other side of the doorway, clothed in dark blue sleeves - and suddenly Soujiro knew, he just _knew_, that it was Himura-san Tae was speaking to - and took the box from her arms. Tae bent her head respectfully and then walked through the door. The gate slid shut behind her.

For a few moments, Tsubame and Soujiro stared at the place where Tae had vanished. Then Tsubame sighed and tucked her arms inside her winter jacket. "Now we wait," she said.

Soujiro tore his eyes away from the gate and glanced at Tsubame. Now was as good a time as any for him to learn some things about Tae. "How does Tae-san know the Himura family?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"The Himuras come to the Akabeko a lot," Tsubame said, turning to him. "And Kaoru-san has been friends with Tae-san ever since she came here from Kyoto when she was small."

"To learn about how to run the Akabeko," Soujiro said, nodding.

"No. I mean, she did end up doing that, but not to begin with."

"Oh?" He queried, keeping the curiosity out of his voice.

"Um..."

For some reason, Tsubame began to look uncomfortable. She glanced away, and her ki roiled with regret. "I - I don't think I should have said anything," she said, her cheeks flushing pink. "Tae-san never talks about it - she only told me once, long ago - "

"It's alright, Tsubame-san," Soujiro said. He turned to face Tsubame and gave her his best, most reassuring smile. "I won't tell anyone."

Her eyes flickered up to his, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. "I - I know, Soujiro-san. But..."

He waited for her to continue, but she never did. Well. Perhaps he could get the information from her later, when she wasn't so flustered -

"But," Tsubame said again, slowly, "I... she only told me that she had to leave Kyoto because of the Bakumatsu."

Soujiro looked up. "The Revolution?"

She nodded. "And Tae-san hasn't been back since."

"I see." Shishio had told him stories - accounts of how he had hunted down and killed anyone the Ishin Shishi wanted: rival swordsmen from the Shoganate or Shinsengumi, politicians or traitors, along with the people who were foolish enough to get in his way. When Soujiro was younger, the Bakumatsu sounded exciting and thrilling. Shishio was all the more powerful and right for dealing out cold justice, and Soujiro had wished he could have been older then, so he could have fought by Shishio's side_._ But in the years since Shishio's death, Soujiro had realized that though the Bakumatsu was many years in the past, people still remembered it. To them, it was a time of fear, of blood, of death. It was not a time that was remembered with any degree of happiness - on the contrary, most people wished they could forget it.

Soujiro understood why the majority of the people felt that way, but he still didn't agree.

He wondered what Tae thought.

"Was her family targeted?" He asked. That would determine her opinion, certainly.

"I don't know," Tsubame admitted.

"I see," he said again, knowing he couldn't push any further.

They fell silent again until, a few minutes later, Soujiro sensed the first spark of a familiar ki. He looked down the road and squinted against the distant buildings. Sure enough, someone was walking purposefully their way.

"Ah," Soujiro murmured, and Tsubame glanced up. Her face lit up with joy.

"Yahiko-kun!"

* * *

"Tae!"

Tae turned at her name, and grinned when she caught sight of Kaoru coming down the hallway. A little child was curled against her shoulder, one tiny hand clutching a fold of her kimono between his fingers. "Good afternoon, Kaoru-chan," Tae said, then bent her head to look at the boy, her voice adopting a soft coo. "And hello, Shinta-chan! How are you?"

"He's been sleeping all day," Kaoru said. Her fingers brushed the dark, wispy strands of his hair affectionately. "He's very quiet - the opposite of Kenji, in many ways."

Tae chuckled, knowing what Kenji was like. That must be a relief for Kenshin and Kaoru. "Shinta-chan has grown so big since the last time I saw him!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, he barely fits into the jinbei you gave him. He's growing so fast."

"What does Kenji-chan think about Shinta-chan?"

Kaoru looked up over Shinta's head to give Tae an amused smile. "I don't think he can decide whether to be entertained or bored by Shinta."

Tae laughed. That didn't surprise her one bit. "I'm glad to see you well, Kaoru-chan. Kenshin-san mentioned that you had been feeling ill last week - "

"O-Oh! Don't be concerned for me, Tae, I'm much better now." Kaoru's slight embarrassment turned into a fond sigh. "Kenshin does worry so much about Shinta and I. Almost more than when Kenji was born, you know?"

Tae nodded. She had seen it in the way Kenshin's face had brightened when he'd seen her at the door, when the first thing he said was, "Kaoru-dono will be so pleased to see you, that she will." She had seen it in the glances he sent Kaoru's way when they were in public together, and in the softening of his eyes when he spoke about her.

Kenshin and Kaoru were happy together. And, it seemed, their married lives were practically perfect. Tae squashed down the jealousy before it could rise to the surface.

"Please let me know if you need anything," Tae said. "I try to remember to visit and bring some food, but sometimes I get caught up in the restaurant and I forget."

Kaoru took a step forward. "You don't have to worry about that," she said, a little firmly. "I am so happy to see you when you come, but it's alright, Tae. Kenshin and I..." She paused, and a smile spread across her face. "When we're ready, we'll come back out again."

"We would be glad to see you back at the Akabeko again," Tae replied, inclining her head.

A door opened on the other end of the hallway and Kenshin stepped out. "I've set out the meal," he said, his eyes lingering on Kaoru before glancing at Tae. "Will you join us, Tae-dono?"

"Yes, will you?" Kaoru asked hopefully.

Tae shook her head. "I'm sorry, but there are some people waiting for me outside the gate."

"Who is it? Tsubame, I bet."

"Yes, and..." Tae took a breath, bracing herself for her friends' shock."...the Akabeko's new waiter."

They both turned to stare at her in amazement. "Oro?" Kenshin asked at the same time that Kaoru gasped, "you're hiring _waiters_ now?"

"My father suggested it," Tae defended. She held up her hands, as it to ward off their surprise. "And so I did, and he was right - the Akabeko is even more popular now."

Kenshin looked pensive. "I suppose that is just another sign of the changes that this era has brought."

"True," Kaoru agreed. "I would like to meet him sometime."

"I'll bring him by in a few months, to officially meet you," Tae said.

"Officially?" Kaoru echoed. She gave Tae a slow, sidelong look, and Tae recoiled, recognizing that glint in her friend's eye. "Hm. Is the new waiter handsome? Is that why he's drawing more customers?"

Tae forced her expression into calm. Why did everyone feel the need to ask her if she thought Soujiro was attractive? "Well," she began cautiously, "he is... somewhat... yes."

Kaoru raised an eyebrow and leaned closer. "And you think so too, right?"

Tae definitely knew where this was going. "Yes," she admitted.

"And what about his personality? Do you think he's - "

"Kaoru-chan," she sighed.

"A possible relationship is not so unacceptable now, in the Meiji era," Kaoru said. Her eyes were wide and innocent, but there was a glimmer of curious mischief; Kaoru was teasing her, half jokingly. "As long as he's a kind, trustworthy man, it won't matter that he's your employee."

_But the stigma is still there, to some extent, _Tae corrected silently. To Kaoru, she only smiled. "I might have thought that, once," she said softly. "But I have to think realistically now. That will never happen, Kaoru-chan. Not to me."

Kaoru opened her mouth to contradict her, but Tae shook her head. "I have to go," she said, stepping back. She glanced over at Kenshin and bent her head respectfully. "Please enjoy," she said. "I will try to visit again soon."

"Tae-dono, let me see you out - "

"That's alright," she said, smiling. "Please, eat before it gets cold."

_I can't let myself start thinking like that again,_ she thought as she crossed through the doorway and into the entry hall. _Too many times I begin thinking it's possible. I let myself dream, and then it turns out horribly. It always does. My obligations to the Akabeko, my dominant personality, my plain face - all of it adds up to one thing: I am an un-marriable person. I know that. I've accepted it, so I can't let myself hope now._

_ Besides, _she added as she stepped outside,_ Soujiro is young and handsome. Surely he would want someone else equally young and beautiful, and not me._

Lost in her thoughts, Tae reached out to open the gate only to find it sliding open in front of her from the other side. Soujiro stood there, smiling his bright smile. "Welcome back, Tae-san!" he greeted cheerfully.

She stopped and blinked at him. "Oh, Soujiro-san. Did... you hear me coming?"

He shrugged. "Something like that." He stood back to let her pass and she joined him in the street.

"Where is Tsubame-chan?" she asked as he pushed the gate closed.

"Yahiko came by, so - "

"Ah," she said understanding. "So it's just the two of us, then."

"That's right."

His voice was as light as ever, but something in the way he said the words made a part of her stiffen in response. Suddenly she was aware of his blue eyes on her, and the way he stood leaning toward her, close enough to touch. There was a silence between them now, stretching longer and longer as the seconds passed and she didn't reply. But what could she say? She could only think of his hands, hanging relaxed by his sides, and that she could not look at his face. She would _not _let him know that she was suddenly very shy, but couldn't say why.

Tae cleared her throat - where were her skills at pretending now? She sounded nervous and awkward, and she could feel him staring at her - and coughed out the first thing that came to her head. "I'm sorry."

"For what, Tae-san?"

His voice sounded perfectly natural, of course. Tae swallowed, cursing her lack of control, and abruptly began to walk. "For staying so long. I didn't know you were outside alone."

"I didn't mind." He kept pace with her, staying just barely within sight to her left.

"Really?" She made herself focus straight ahead. "I hope it wasn't too boring for you."

"Not at all. I was just thinking about something, that's all."

She replied without thinking, "oh?" but then regretted it a second later. She had enough time to worry, in a wave of silly paranoia, if he was thinking about her. If he was somehow aware of her conversation with Kaoru and was mulling over it.

He was silent for a few seconds and then he finally said, "Tae-san, you told me once that you'd lived in Kyoto."

Tae blinked. This was so unexpected that she, too, paused before responding. "Well, yes, that's true." She smiled. "I think everyone can tell, though, because of my accent."

"Why didn't you go back?" He tilted his head to the side, glancing over at her. "Your family is all in Kyoto, isn't that right? Why didn't you ever go back to them?"

She started in surprise. Soujiro saw her wide-eyed expression and immediately bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Tae-san," he said. "I didn't mean to ask something I shouldn't."

She shook her head. "No, it's alright. It's... something that my father and my siblings write to me about often."

Soujiro looked up and she met his eyes, her previous skittishness mysteriously vanished. Thankfully. "A few of my family members were involved in the Bakumatsu," she said.

He waited, his eyes never once deviating from her own.

Tae took a deep breath. "My father was a courier. He delivered everything from supplies and letters to the Bakufu's soldiers, using the Shirobeko - our restaurant in Kyoto - as a halfway house. My uncle actually fought; he was wounded quite severely in a skirmish of some kind against some Ishin Shishi. He worried that they would pursue him, so my family arranged to send him to Edo under the guise that he was setting up his own restaurant here."

"And you?" Soujiro prompted when she fell silent.

The corner of her lips tipped upwards. "I was sent to help solidify his cover."

"Ah."

Tae rubbed her hands together in the chill air. "It's not something that everyone knows, " she explained, sure that Soujiro was wondering why he hadn't heard the story before. "My uncle was a suspicious man, and I've adopted some of that from him, I think. So, if you... that is, if you wouldn't mind..."

He smiled at her. "I don't mind keeping your secrets."

Soujiro's gaze felt too heavy again and she dropped her eyes. "Thank you," she told him, nodding jerkily.

"I do have a question, though," he said. "If you were suspicious of the Ishin Shishi, then how did you overcome it to make friends with Himura Kenshin?"

Tae gaped at him. He knew? And clearly he wasn't afraid of the Battousai's reputation, since he walked with her to Kenshin's home. A spark of pride bloomed inside her, that Soujiro was so trusting, that he had believed whoever had told him about Kenshin, that he didn't hold Kenshin's past against him.

She smiled. The answer was so easy. "Because Kenshin-san has changed," she said simply. "He's not the Battousai any longer."

Soujiro looked away, absorbing her response. "And you believe that?" He asked after a few moments. "You think that someone can change? Just like that?"

"It had been ten years," she pointed out. "But yes. I think anyone can change."

He was silent. After a while, Tae glanced at him. She was about to ask if he was alright when there was a soft tearing sound and she stumbled. Suddenly Soujiro was in front of her, one arm braced under her ribs and the other curved around her shoulders.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

She hadn't even had time to gasp or cry out; he was there, arresting her fall. She took a shaky breath, still feeling the strange, almost vertigo-like sensation that she should be falling and knowing that she wasn't. "Y-yes," she said, fighting for the calm she had heard in his voice. "I'm fine. What... what was it?"

His eyes flickered down and then up again. "A strap on your shoe broke."

"Oh," she breathed. "How troublesome."

For the slightest moment, it looked as though a smirk of amusement crossed his face. But that wasn't right, because she couldn't see what was funny. "It happens more often than you'd think."

"I'll need to buy another pair."

"That's alright, I'll do it for you tomorrow morning."

"You don't have to - "

"I want to."

They stared at each other for a long moment. Slowly Tae became aware of the fact that she was half-reclining in Soujiro's arms, his chest pressed against her side. In his haste to catch her, Soujiro's hand had slipped under her coat. She could feel his fingers pressing against her skin, warm underneath the thick layer of clothing. Her own hands had clenched the front of his jacket, knotting the fabric between her knuckles.

Tae swallowed. She could feel her face burning in the winter air, and she quickly broke eye-contact. That rigid fear was creeping in again, freezing her limbs, and she knew that in a few moments, she'd be utterly useless. "T-Thank you for catching me," she said, wincing internally at the slight catch in her voice.

"Yes," he said, softer than before. His arm tightened around her, pulling her closer, and Tae looked up at him in shock. Was he going to _kiss_ her? His face was close enough - they were close enough - and he probably could if he wanted to.

Did she want him to?

Tae's traitorous eyes fluttered, and suddenly she wasn't sure whether she should resist him or not.

Maybe she wouldn't.

Soujiro stopped, and Tae held her breath. After a moment, he slid his arms away from her and helped her stand. "Are you alright?" He asked again.

"Yes." Disoriented and feeling strangely let down, she wondered why he had drawn her close only to push away, and then realized: it was an embrace. Soujiro had hugged her.

The sweet melting feeling in her heart must have triggered an unconscious expression on her face, because Soujiro stepped forward again, his hand hovering above her shoulder. "Tae-san?"

"I'm fine. Just fine."

"Will you be able to walk?"

"I think so." And she did, albeit with a small limp in order to keep her broken shoe in place. But that didn't matter, because Soujiro had hugged her.

He had hugged her.

And that thought kept her warm all the way back to the Akabeko.

* * *

They parted ways at the kitchen, where Tae continued down the hall toward the stairs for the second floor. Soujiro watched her walk a few steps before ducking through the doorway.

"Ah - Soujiro-san?" she called.

He quickly poked his head back into the doorway. Tae had paused halfway up the staircase, her hand on the railing. "Let's have another English lesson tonight," she said.

Soujiro blinked up at her. Tsubame had joined him for the lessons in the past, but she had said earlier that she had plans that night. "Tsubame-san won't be there," he told Tae.

Tae nodded slowly. "I know." She straightened, looking down at him. "Would you rather not?"

"No, it's alright. I don't mind."

She nodded, gave him a brief smile, then continued up the steps.

Soujiro watched the top of the stairs long after Tae had vanished. He would be with Tae that night. Alone.

Exactly the opportunity he'd been waiting for.

He smiled.


	6. Quick Touch

**Chapter Five:** **Quick Touch**

* * *

Soujiro knew nothing about seducing women.

Well, that wasn't precisely true. He knew a few things, but they only worked if the woman was willing. The problem was that he didn't know how to _get_ a woman to that point.

Especially a woman like Tae.

While he waited the tables during dinner, Soujiro mulled over his options. He could prompt Tae to make the first move by making her want him - that would be the easiest and, frankly, the fastest route. He had thought to try that before, when Tae had nearly fallen in the street that afternoon, but - well, it hadn't worked out. He wasn't prepared to don the persona of a smitten would-be lover, so all he'd done was clutch her like a needy child.

He scowled internally. He hated it when things didn't turn like they should.

There was also the option of slowly convincing Tae that she was in love with him. It had been his original idea, one that he had been planning to keep - had it not been for the brief outing to the Himura residence. He had been counting on the Battousai and his wife acting like hermits for far longer, and that Tae would not be quite so eager to bring him on her visit. The possibility that all his delicate plans could have been ruined had Himura-san simply stepped outside his gate made Soujiro panic. As a result, he had ruined a perfectly good opportunity with Tae.

But that was alright. He could salvage the day tonight, when he went to Tae's room. He'd have to be cautious - Tae was a smart woman, and she, too, had nearly perfected the art of charades. And she was older than him, so he had to assume that she would possess more skills than he in the subject of seduction.

Which brought him back to his initial problem: how to properly seduce a woman who was not fully intending - or even expecting - to be seduced?

Soujiro wondered what Shishio-san would say if he were here.

Yumi had joined Shishio shortly after Soujiro himself did, so he didn't remember much about the beginnings their courtship. The majority of it had taken place away from him, deep in the back rooms and intimate settings that made up Yumi's time as a professional geisha. He remembered the weeks where Shishio was gone for days at a time, visiting her, and Soujiro had spent the long hours practicing relentlessly with his wakizashi. And then when Yumi did come, Shishio refused to be apart from her.

Now that Soujiro thought about it, it was Yumi who initiated all the romance that he had seen; she was the one who was affectionate and encouraging, not Shishio.

He remembered the first afternoon that he saw Yumi. It was the day that he discovered that Yumi had abandoned her life as an entertainer and would be staying with them. Yumi had been all smiles at the introduction, her eyes never straying from Soujiro's face. When Shishio went on to explain the new arrangements, how things would be different now, she became bored. She adjusted her kimono, and idly tucked then untucked her hair from behind her ears. Soujiro watched from the corner of his eye as she sighed and casually brushed her shoulder against Shishio's. Then she touched his sleeve, and trailed her finger up his arm and to his neck. She leaned against him, pressing her generous breasts against his chest, and dipped her head to whisper something in his ear.

There weren't many times that Soujiro saw Shishio-san utterly distracted and completely speechless, but this was one of them. Soujiro didn't even bother to hide that he was staring and watched, wide-eyed, as Shishio pressed Yumi against the floor, his hand bunched in the fabric on her thigh. Yumi's leg arched up around his hip and she giggled, twisting her head away playfully, where her gaze fell on Soujiro. He looked at her and she looked at him for a long moment before her cheeks colored in embarrassment. "Shishio-sama," she gasped, somehow managing to sound both affronted and alluring at once. "He is watching us."

Shishio looked up long enough to scowl at him. "Leave us alone for a while, Soujiro," he ordered in that low, rough voice of his. "And shut the door on your way out."

And so Soujiro had left, gently sliding the door closed behind him. He had stood in the hall for a while, trying to decide what Yumi's presence meant, how it changed things, and how _he _felt because of it.

Eventually he realized it didn't matter if he cared. So, he did not.

_Perhaps that is the difference between us, _Soujiro thought as he delivered the tea to his new tables and took orders for the meal. _Yumi openly cared for Shishio, and he cared for her in return - in his own way. Perhaps I simply need to be more affectionate to Tae. That might sway her affections towards mine._

_ Or is there something else...?_

"I need another plate of noodles, cabbage, tofu and mushrooms," he said as he came into the kitchen.

"You'll have to wait your turn," Nizuno called to him. He was busy chopping a chunk of meat into smaller, manageable chunks. Beside him at the table, Urato busily shaved noodles off a konnyaku block. "We're getting the ingredients for Hana and Tsubame's orders, so you're after them."

Tsubame sent him an apologetic look over Hana's head. "Sorry, Soujiro-san."

"We even have that useless boy Yahiko fetching more scallions, since we've run out," Urato added sarcastically, gathering the jelly noodles together in a sloppy mound. "Not that he's _hurrying_ or anything, since we have _paying customers_ waiting and all."

Soujiro stifled an impatient sigh. He didn't _want_ to wait, especially since he knew he could have prepared the food faster than both the chefs combined. "Perhaps I could get started on my own plates?" He queried, keeping his voice light.

Urato scoffed but didn't look up. Indignation flared, but Soujiro forced it down. He walked to the other side of the table and picked up an abandoned knife. He snatched a few mushrooms that were waiting on a chopping block and began to slice them up, reminding himself halfway through not to cut them quite so thin, or to move quite so fast.

"If you pass me some of the meat, I could prepare the rest of my own dish," Soujiro said, helping himself to some of the cabbage.

"What? You actually want to do it?" Urato groaned and shot Nizuno an annoyed look. "You're just gonna get in the way."

"I haven't so far," he countered mildly. He brushed the strips of cabbage and mushrooms onto a plate and ducked under the table to fetch the tofu.

"We don't have time for this, kid," Urato snapped back.

Nizuno shrugged. "If Sou wants to try, let him try." He slapped a hunk of the raw meat in front of Soujiro. "Besides, he's using the wrong sort of knife for it - he won't get far."

Soujiro silently diced the tofu then turned to the beef. Nizuno was right; his small knife wasn't meant to cut the tough sinew of muscle. He turned the knife experimentally in his hand, testing its weight. It was too small - not heavy enough for anything besides precise incisions. But...

A blade was still a blade, no matter what size it was. The chefs could not understand, but Soujiro did.

The little knife would require speed to make the same bold cuts as a carving knife, so Soujiro did not hold back. In a space between one breath and the next, the beef lay in equal little pieces on his cutting board. He studied them, his lips turning ever so slightly into a frown. Slow. He was becoming slow. _Nearly five years without picking up a sword, and it shows_, he thought with something akin to irritation. He flicked a drop of blood off the blade and gently set it down.

A sudden silence followed, but Soujiro had expected it. He scooped the chopped meat onto his plate and looked up at the others with a smile. "I wonder how that happened," he said cheerily.

"D-Don't joke about that!" Urato gasped, his own knife frozen in mid-swing. "Th-That's exactly what I'm thinking! But - how the hell - "

"I didn't see you," Nizuno said. He was staring at Soujiro's plate. "I didn't even hear the knife hit the cutting board - "

"Yes you did," Soujiro replied. He glanced at Tsubame and Hana. "Didn't you?"

Hana looked at Tsubame, who bit her lip. "Um..." She blushed under his pointed stare. "I - I think... I suppose I did - "

"No you didn't, Tsubame." A low voice said behind them. "Because I didn't."

Soujiro's smile widened. "Yahiko-san," he greeted, pivoting around to face the back door of the kitchen. "Welcome back. I think Tsubame-san and Hana-san have been waiting for more scallions for their dishes."

Yahiko's cheeks were flushed red from the cold outdoors, and there were a few snowflakes melting in his hair and on his shoulders. He set his paper package down on the edge of one of the counters and swiftly pulled off his gloves. His gaze never wavered from Soujiro's, and Soujiro wondered how he had missed sensing the boy come in. Had he lost Yahiko's ki in the unanimous feeling of surprise and shock throughout the room? Or was he too focused on his own flaws, or in the actual act of slicing the meat that he had tuned out the others' ki's at exactly the wrong moment?

_I'm becoming slow _and_ lazy, _he berated himself. _If this is what five years of wandering has come to, then..._

He was glad that Shishio-san was not there to see him.

Yahiko nodded to the blade in Soujiro's hand. "You're a swordsman," he said quietly.

"_Hell,_" Urato murmured.

"I don't own a sword," Soujiro responded, but he knew the petty answer wouldn't appease Yahiko. The boy was smart and, frankly, Soujiro was surprised that he had kept his secret for this long.

Yahiko shook his head. "I don't mean that," he said. "I mean that you've been trained. You studied in a dojo for a long while, from the look of your skill. You know how to handle a weapon."

"I suppose you could say that."

"I wondered, ever since you said you were a rurouni..." He paused and then shook his head. "Who was your teacher? What style of swordsmanship did you study?"

"Nothing specific," he replied, honestly enough. "My style of fighting was built up around my natural skills."

Yahiko frowned. "Alright, but who taught - "

"Forgive me," Soujiro broke in, "but I really need to get going." He held up his plate of food. "My customers will be wondering where I am."

He half expected Yahiko to stop him as he left the kitchen, but the boy stayed where he was. Everyone watched him as he left the room, and he could sense the anxiety creeping into the edges of their ki. That was too bad - he'd have to be extra careful now not to frighten his co-workers any more. Could he have arranged the revelation of his past differently? _Probably not,_ Soujiro thought ruefully as he delivered the food and checked on his other tables. _But it would have been a lot easier if they hadn't found out at all._

Yahiko. He'd have to be extra wary of him.

Hana came out of the kitchen when Soujiro returned for more orders, and he stepped aside to let her pass. Inside, Tsubame was still waiting for her food and the chefs were moving again, their knives a blur of silver above the food. Soujiro had barely taken one step into the room when he saw something streak toward him from the left. Automatically his hand shot up and he snatched the teacup from the air before it could slam into his temple.

"Very good," Yahiko said. He was leaning against the wall in the corner of the room, his arms crossed casually across his chest. "I hoped you would catch it."

"Be careful, Yahiko-san. You could have hit me," Soujiro said, placing the cup down on the closest countertop.

"No, I couldn't have. Because you caught it." He shrugged. "You are a swordsman, Soujiro-san, even though you deny it - "

"I don't deny it."

"But you are being evasive about it," Yahiko pointed out.

"Does it matter?" He walked to the shelves where the tea things were shelved and pulled out a teapot. As he crossed to the fire to fill it with water, he sent the boy a smile. "I don't think it matters if I'm open about it or not. I work at the Akabeko now, so I'm a waiter not a swordsman."

Yahiko was silent for a long moment. "What made you change your mind?" He asked eventually. "The kind of speed that you've mastered - that's the kind of skill that anyone, even if they were a master of their own style, would envy. I mean, I've only seen Kenshin move that fast, and most of his attacks require godlike speed to execute."

Soujiro turned his head away, hiding his smile. "I suppose that's true."

"And you're so young," he said bluntly. "You're, what, eighteen? Nineteen? For cryin' out loud, you must have been a _prodigy, _and already you're giving up any future with swords."

He hefted the full teapot and turned to face Yahiko. "I'm not that young," he corrected mildly. "I wandered for five years, remember?"

"Yeah, but still. It's even more impressive that you've managed to keep up your speed after all this time - "

Suddenly Yahiko stopped short, realization dawning across his face. Soujiro examined his ki carefully, searching for the explosive fury that would no doubt follow if Yahiko decided that Soujiro was _the _Soujiro, the Tenken of Shishio's Juppongatana. Then Yahiko's eyes darted up to his, and Soujiro realized that the boy had paused for a different idea altogether.

"Have you fought anyone since you wandered?" Yahiko asked.

Oh no. Soujiro didn't like the turn in the conversation at all. "Not... exactly," he said slowly. "I traveled without a sword, so there were no proper duels - "

"We should spar together," he said firmly.

Soujiro shook his head. "Yahiko-san, I don't think - "

"Hey, it's a good idea." Yahiko grinned at him. "Every swordsman needs to exercise their skills once in a while to keep them sharp. And maybe it'll make you want to pick up the sword again. Don't look at me like that, it's for your own good."

Soujiro raised his eyebrows. Look at him like _what?_ "What if I don't feel like it?"

"Sure you do. Besides, I wanna fight you to see your style. Maybe we can end up being sparring partners. There's only so many people who want to fight me anymore - my reputation for being the guy who caught a thousand blades is pretty annoying most of the time, because of stuff like that."

"Regardless," he said unconcernedly, "I don't have a sword to fight you with."

Yahiko frowned. "Why not? Even Kenshin had his sakabato."

"I wanted to see if I could do it," Soujiro replied simply. "I wanted to see if I could travel without a weapon, without killing."

He stared at him. "Huh. Y'know, you should meet Kenshin sometime. You guys are pretty similar, and I'm sure you'd have loads to talk about."

Soujiro's smile only widened. "Perhaps."

"Still, you have to have a sword. I've only got my one, or else I'd loan you something." He glanced up at Tsubame as she walked past, two heavy plates balanced between her hands, and frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe I can come up with something."

Soujiro inclined his head and moved to follow Tsubame out of the kitchen. "Really, you don't need - "

"Hey!" Yahiko snapped his fingers and stepped in front of Soujiro, blocking his way. "I got it! Tae's katana!"

Soujiro blinked, honest shock erasing the amiability from his face. "_Tae's_ katana?" He repeated.

He waved his hand irritably. "Well, it's not _hers, _strictly speaking, but it sort of is. When her uncle died, he left her his sword. Tsubame told me Tae keeps it in her room."

"Ah."

"I bet if we asked, Tae would lend it to you," Yahiko said thoughtfully. "I mean, she might as well let you use it because - "

"Because why?" Tae's voice spoke from behind him, and Yahiko spun around. She looked from his flushed face to Soujiro's calm smile. "What are you two doing?"

"Geez, Tae, I didn't know you could move so silently," Yahiko said, scratching the back of his head. "We were just talking. "

"Yes, I see that." She gave him a stern look and then turned to Soujiro. "Some of your tables were getting restless, so I came to see what was delaying you."

"Just Yahiko-san," Soujiro said cheerfully, ignoring Yahiko's glare. "I'm sorry for worrying you, Tae-san."

"Oh, I wasn't. Well, not exactly." She paused and a small smile tipped up the corner of her lips. "I'm only glad that was all."

Yahiko coughed and rolled his eyes toward Soujiro. "Well anyway," he said a little too loudly, "Soujiro and I were wondering if we could borrow your uncle's old sword."

Soujiro's head whipped around. "Yahiko - "

"The katana?" Tae questioned. She blinked at Yahiko in surprise. "Why?"

"Because Soujiro doesn't have one, and we're going to spar each other tonight after dinner."

"Yahiko," Soujiro said again, a tone of warning in his voice.

"Spar?" Tae echoed. Her gaze slowly flickered over to Soujiro. "You are a swordsman?"

"He's acting all shy about it," Yahiko interjected again, "but I know he is. I've seen how fast he moves, so I'm guessing he's pretty good."

Her face fell. Soujiro felt her ki darken and recoil as she turned away. "I see," she murmured.

"Anyway, he doesn't have a sword of his own, so we wondered if you could lend us yours," Yahiko continued. "Y'know, so he could have something to fight with."

"_Yahiko_," Soujiro said, forcing some steel into his words. "It doesn't matter now. I'm still working, and I don't want to upset Tae-san."

"How kind of you to say," Tae said softly, but she didn't look at him. "It... I know it is not my place to tell you what you should or should not do in the hours where you aren't working, so I won't. If you wish to fight, I will lend you my katana."

Yahiko grinned. "_Thank you_, Tae. We really appreciate it."

Soujiro looked at Tae for a long moment. The knowledge of his skills had clearly upset her. It was troubling, because she hadn't even seen him fight yet - what would she say when she saw how swiftly he moved, and how effortlessly he could wield a sword? Worse yet, how would she react when she found out who he really was? When the truth came out, as it surely would someday, would she forgive him or coldly turn away?

For the first time, Soujiro wondered if his endeavor might not be impossible after all.

_I will not fail. I will not. _Soujiro respectfully bowed his head. "Thank you, Tae-san," he said quietly.

She nodded back and silently swept out of the kitchen.

Yahiko let out his breath in a sigh. "That was close," he said. "I thought she was gonna get mad for a second there. She didn't, so that's a good sign. Just be careful not to break her sword or anything, and she'll be okay."

He bobbed one shoulder. "I have a pretty bad track record for breaking swords, but I'll do my best."

Yahiko stared at him for a moment before breaking into a full-throated laugh. "Hey, so you _can_ tell jokes! Ha. You can't break swords that easily, Soujiro. I'd be surprised if you could, though!"

Soujiro smiled but didn't bother to correct him. "Tae does not like swordsmen?"

"Uh..." His mouth twisted into pensive frown. "I guess? That woman's complicated, you know. I mean, she likes Kenshin, but there are also all those times that the Akabeko was nearly destroyed ever since he showed up. Maybe she has mixed feelings about it?"

"She likes you, though," Soujiro said.

"Yeah, we go way back. But she still makes me leave my sakabato at the door each time I come in," he huffed.

Yes, Soujiro had noticed that Yahiko never carried the sword indoors with him. It was all the more curious, since had heard it was the same blade that the Battousai had used to defeat him. Well. If that was the case, then he looked forward to seeing it again up close after dinner.

"But don't worry." Yahiko smiled winningly at him. "Tae got used to Kenshin and Sanosuke - well, sort of. Anyway, it might take a while, but she'll warm up to you eventually."

Soujiro nodded back. He was counting on it.

* * *

After dinner, the Akabeko staff filed out into the back garden to watch the fight. Tae gave Soujiro her uncle's katana, which he accepted with a respectful bow. "Thank you, Tae-san," he told her. "I will take care of it, I promise."

"I would appreciate it," she murmured in return.

He straightened and pulled the sword to his chest, a bright smile on his face. "Wish me luck?"

"Good luck," she said, but she couldn't return his smile.

Soujiro seemed to hesitate then, his eyes searching hers. "Tae-san... we don't have to do this," he said in an undertone. "I can see you oppose the idea - "

"Yes," she said, even as her throat closed around the word. There was still a chance that Yahiko was somehow wrong, and that Soujiro was not a swordsman. It was possible that he was like Kaoru's husband, and not like all the rest - all the many, many ruthless, cruel ex-swordsmen she had seen - and she hoped it was true -

But she would not stop them.

The weight of his gaze was heavy. She took a slow breath, knowing her silence had lasted for too long. "Please continue your battle," she said softly, "my feelings should not hold you back."

He did not reply for a few moments. "If that is what you prefer."

She only bent her head.

Soujiro walked over to join Yahiko in the center of the garden as Tae joined the others where they had lined up against the kitchen's outer wall. As she ducked under the eaves, Tsubame leaned around Hana to look at her. "Are you alright, Tae-san?" She queried.

Urato and Nizuno were arguing, convinced that their champion of choice could easily defeat the other. Their voices were loud and confident, and Tae had to force an optimistic nod. "I'm well," she said, even though she wasn't. "Don't worry about me."

Snow had fallen on and off throughout the day, covering the ground in a thin layer of white. Large flakes were falling now, slowly covering the two sets of footprints that led straight to the combatants. Soujiro slid the sword partway from the sheath, inspecting the blade, and Yahiko stepped over to peer at it. In a conversation she couldn't hear, Yahiko held out the sakabato and Soujiro slid his finger against the blunt edge, nodding interestedly. In a detached way, she wondered that it seemed to so easy for him to accept the strange sword. The reverse-blade usually drew shocked stares or double-takes at least, when people first saw it.

Or perhaps Soujiro was more knowledgeable about blades then she believed. Tae tucked her hands into her jacket, banishing the thought.

"When're they gonna start?" Urato complained in a hiss.

"When they start," Nizuno fired back.

Eventually Soujiro sheathed his sword and stepped back. Yahiko held out the sakabato in a starting position, one that Tae recognized as Kaoru's favorite. Soujiro held his sword at his waist -_ held_ it there, since his belt loops weren't big enough to accommodate the sheath - and waited, his other hand hovering above the hilt.

For a long moment, they were completely still. They were statues in the grey twilight, the gentle fall of snow drifting around them like a dream.

Soujiro moved first. He darted forward, the sword glinting as he whipped it out of the sheath. Metal clashed together as Yahiko blocked his blow, then pivoted around to parry the next thrust. He skipped back out of reach when Soujiro lunged for him, an annoyed look on his face.

"What're you doing?" Yahiko demanded. "Why're you so slow?"

"I don't know what you mean, Yahiko-san." Soujiro twisted left and right, the katana arching through the falling snow, but Yahiko deflected them all.

"I know you're faster than this. I _saw_ you." The sakabato flew up towards Soujiro's neck, but he nimbly stepped to the side. "Why are you going easy on me?"

"I suppose I'm out of practice," he said easily, rotating his sword into a swift uppercut.

He batted it to the side. "The hell you aren't."

Soujiro tried again, feinting to the side before coming down on Yahiko's head from above. Yahiko's hand shot up and caught the blade between two fingers.

"I _said,_" Yahiko enunciated, holding firm to the katana despite Soujiro's tugs, "why are you going easy on me?"

Soujiro blinked at Yahiko and for a moment it didn't look like he was going to respond. Then the tension in his arms loosened and Yahiko let him step back. "Several reasons, I suppose," he said musingly, gazing down at the hilt of the sword. "I really am out of practice, Yahiko-san; before today, it's been several years since I used a sword. And besides, this western clothing doesn't allow for much mobility. Especially the shoes." He tapped the toe of his flat leather shoe into the snow, as if testing its durability. "These shoes won't work at all."

Yahiko looked from Soujiro's slim figure to his own baggy Japanese clothing. "Huh. I didn't even consider that."

"Um... Tae-san?"

Tae jumped as a hand touched her elbow. Tsubame had switched places with Hana and was peering at her, eyes wide with worry. "Sorry," Tsubame said, pulling back a little. "Tae-san, are you alright? You look very scared."

Tae started and looked down. Her fingers were knotted together and the heels of her hands were digging into her breastbone. Slowly she uncurled her hands - her chest was suddenly hurting very much - and pushed them back into the sleeves of her jacket. "I... suppose I was, Tsubame-chan," she said, forcing out a little smile. "Thank you."

Tsubame nodded, but she still looked concerned. Tae looked away and made herself take a deep, calming breath. _It's alright, _she told herself, _it will be alright._

_ Soujiro-san will be alright._

She shoved the thought away.

When Tae glanced back at the two combatants, Yahiko was speaking again. "Alright, so we don't do anything that requires much leg motion. How about we draw swords against each other? Whoever's fastest wins. How does that sound?"

Soujiro shrugged. "Fine by me."

"Okay." He pushed the sakabato back into its sheath. "But promise me you won't hold back. It isn't a fair fight if you go slower because of me."

He grinned. "I'll see what I can do," he said, laughter in his voice. He stepped back, holding the sheath against his waist again.

Yahiko also sheathed the sakabato and copied Soujiro's stance, his right hand waiting to draw.

"Ah," Tae heard Nizuno murmur, "so they'll both use battōu-jutsu for this. Interesting. I wonder where Sou learned it."

"Yahiko picked up that trick from the best," Urato said confidently, "so the kid'll have to be fast to beat him."

Tae's fingers clenched around the hem of her sleeves. She wished the chefs would stop talking, just this once. She stared at Soujiro, noting his straight back and the stance of his feet, one just barely in front of the other. There was assurance in the way he held himself - not overtly, but it was there nonetheless. His eyes were locked with Yahiko's, his face utterly calm.

The moments dragged on and Tae found herself holding her breath, waiting for the terrible match to be over.

She couldn't have said who moved first - though perhaps that was because she was watching Soujiro, and not Yahiko too. One second Soujiro was completely motionless, the snow silently piling up on his shoulders and on his dark hair. The next, his sword met Yahiko's in a silver cross, a sharp clang echoing in the air.

"It looks like our skills are even," Soujiro said brightly, and Tae let her breath out in a rush.

"Dammit!" Urato groaned and Nizuno sighed.

Yahiko gazed at their blades for a moment before carefully stepping back. "Maybe," he said guardedly. "Today we're even, but I want another match with you sometime in the future."

"Oh?" Soujiro asked, sheathing his blade.

"Yeah. Maybe, in a few months, you'll still be as good as me. Or maybe you'll show me that you're faster." Yahiko raised an eyebrow. "I guess we'll see when that happens."

"I suppose," Soujiro replied, "but I don't think the results will change, Yahiko-san."

"Just Yahiko. You don't have to be that polite." He, too, sheathed his sword.

"Yahiko," Soujiro repeated, smiling.

That smile. It was the same little smile Tae had seen on Soujiro's face each day at the restaurant while he waited on customers, but something about it bothered her. _Why now?_ Tae wondered, blinking at him as the chefs and the two waitresses walked past her to go inside. That smile was a part of Soujiro; she remembered it in her memories of him five years ago, and she remembered it on the day he was hired, when he looked up at her on the staircase and asked if she recognized him. Tae had only seen Soujiro without his smile once - this morning, when he looked so strangely serious...

_But why should his smile unnerve me now?_

Then she recalled the way Soujiro fought Yahiko, his mouth curved above the flashing katana in his hand.

_He smiled as he fought_, Tae realized. _How could that be?_

_ What sort of man is it that smiles while he fights?_

A chill settled around her heart. Yahiko brushed past her, ducking into the back door, and Tae shivered.

"Tae-san?" Soujiro noticed her standing there and approached, snow crunching with each step. "You look kind of pale."

"I'm alright," she said immediately. "I suppose it's - it's the winter air. I should go back inside."

"Tae-san - " He caught her arm as she turned away. She looked at him, but he didn't let go. "Did you still want to have the English lesson this evening?"

His eyes were very bright in the grey air. Tae sighed, her breath clouding in the space between them. She felt - well, she wasn't sure how she felt. She needed to think about things, and think about today. She felt _something_ about Soujiro, that was true, but... after she had seen him fight, she couldn't help but wonder... maybe even suspect...

"Not a lesson," she told him carefully. "But if you wished to join me for tea in a while, I would not refuse."

His face changed, his smiling expression altering ever so slightly, but Tae didn't wait for a response. She turned and went into the Akabeko, leaving the door open for him to follow.

* * *

**A/N: I know you guys wanted to see some Sou/Tae action, but Yahiko was being way too impatient.**

**Before I get a ton of comments and/or PMs about this - yes, Soujiro was holding back (but hmm, perhaps Yahiko was, too...?). He couldn't afford to blow his cover so easily. But have no fear! Soujiro will get many an opportunity to fight in the future that will require him to use his shukuchi. :)**

**Also, in less than two weeks I'll be doing some... transitioning, I guess you could say?... anyway, I won't have access to the internet for a few weeks. I'll try to get the next chapter up before that happens, but we'll see. Fingers crossed.**

**I know I don't reply to many of your reviews, but I read every single one of them and I really treasure them. It's for you guys that I'm writing this - otherwise it would just be something fun at the back of my head. I'm so grateful for all the wonderful comments I've gotten throughout this story so far. Thank you so much!**


	7. Shrinking From Far Headlights

**A/N: Hello there!**

**After this chapter, I won't be able to post for a few weeks. But don't worry - I'll make up for it in the chapter after this one (super awkward, super awesome Tae/Sou moment? Count on it).**

**Tae's interesting 'collection' that comes up in this chapter actually comes straight from the manga, and I've been dying to put it in the story for some time. Not only is it interesting, but it'll show up again *hint hint* so watch out for it.**

**As always, please enjoy and review! **

* * *

**Chapter Six: Shrinking From Far Headlights**

Tae did not look up when Soujiro entered her room. "Please come in," she murmured, reaching over to place an empty teacup and saucer directly across from her.

"You are too kind," Soujiro replied. He silently knelt on the cushion she had provided and tried not to stare. He had tried to imagine what her bedroom had looked like many times - had he not lain awake each night, listening to the gentle cadence of her ki in slumber, and wondered what else rested beyond their shared wall? - but he hadn't expected this. Her room was arranged normally enough, with a futon in the corner, two wooden chests, a small writing desk, and the stand for her uncle's katana -

Which there had been no proper opportunity to return. Soujiro gently placed it to the side of the lacquer tea tray and bent his head. "Thank you for the use of the sword."

Tae's eyes flickered over to the katana and back to the dishes she was placing out. "Yes," she said.

With her gaze distracted once again, Soujiro glanced around her room. No, it was the back wall that was so strange: woodblock prints covered the surface, the multi-colored pictures showing everything from courtesans and samurai at court, to women watching a festival parade and shoppers at a summer stall. It was stunning, really, how many pictures she had managed to fit on her wall. Soujiro admitted to himself that he was honestly surprised; he hadn't pegged Tae as a collector - let alone of art.

"What sort of tea do you prefer?" Tae asked, her voice low.

"None," he answered, looking back at her. It wasn't exactly true - there were some teas that he'd tasted in the last few years that he liked more than others - but it seemed a little pointless to bring that up now. "What will you drink?"

"Sakurayu. It's what I have every night. But I also have sencha, if you'd like that."

"Sakurayu is fine," he said, but once again he was surprised. Sakurayu was a tea that was served primarily at weddings, because the pink sakura flowers in the clear water represented a new beginning. Soujiro watched Tae place a sprig of pickled blossoms into each of their cups and wondered why she liked it so much. Was it the slightly bitter taste? The colorful sakura, perhaps, or the idea that the tea represented? Or something else entirely?

Tae filled their cups, the steam drifting gently from the spout of her tea kettle, and then set it aside. As he waited for the tea to steep, Soujiro found his eyes drifting once again to the wall behind Tae. "How many do you have?" He asked.

She looked up at him, and the look on her face suspected he was teasing her. "I've never seen so many before," Soujiro continued, gazing at the art thoughtfully. "They're all so... different."

Slowly her face cleared. "I collect Nishiki paintings," she admitted, peering self-consciously over her shoulder at them. "I used to keep them rolled up next to my kimonos, but one day I decided - well, I would enjoy them more if I saw them every day, outside of the chest."

They were paintings, then, not prints. _Originals._ "Which one is your favorite?" He asked curiously.

Tae paused a moment too long. "I... haven't hung it up." She turned around to look at him, the little smile fading from her blushing face. "I haven't had the time."

Soujiro met her eyes and she abruptly looked away. Her hands shook a little as she picked up her teacup, the porcelain trembling in its saucer. Her ki was quivering too, as if some resolve she had built up was breaking down. How odd. Soujiro leaned forward and tilted his head, as if to see better into her face. "What's wrong, Tae-san?"

She bit her lip and stared down into her tea. "I..."

Soujiro waited, but Tae never looked up at him and didn't speak again. Her ki was vibrating with nervous energy, and it irked Soujiro that she was refusing to give away her secrets so easily.

_However, it isn't so terrible a thing,_ Soujiro mused to himself. _I would be more bothered if she wasn't so interesting a puzzle._

He tried again. "Tae-san - "

Her fingers clenched around her cup. "Please stop _talking_ for a moment, you're making me feel so - !" She caught herself, ducking her head in shame.

Soujiro only blinked, wide-eyed, and she slowly looked up at him. "Please forgive me, Soujiro-san," Tae said quietly. "I should not have said... I didn't mean those things. I am glad when you speak to me, but at the same time it makes me feel... it makes me think..." She trailed off, wincing at her inability to find the right words, before giving up with a sigh. "It makes me confused."

He bit down on the desire to laugh with pleasure. So he _was_ affecting her, even in a small way. "I'm sorry," he told her, bowing demurely.

Tae made a slight, sort of strangled sound. "N-No, it's not - that is - " Soujiro looked up as she shut her eyes. Slowly she put down her teacup. "I suppose I had better just tell you how I feel," she said reluctantly, "so I can make things clear between us."

_Ah. Here it comes, then._ Tae's ki still carried that buzz of anxiety, but underneath that was a thread of strong emotion. It wasn't quite how he expected a woman might feel when she was about to express her growing feelings for a man - but then, it was quite clear by now that Tae was not a normal woman. Soujiro met Tae's eyes and nodded once.

She straightened her back and took a breath. "Soujiro-san, I'm not happy," she said, so bluntly that Soujiro started. "What happened today was something that I could not condone."

"... you are referring to my match with Yahiko this evening," he stated quietly.

"Yes." Her gaze sharpened at the dropped honorific. "I know Yahiko pressed you into it, and Tsubame told me it was something of an accident that you revealed your - your _abilities_ during dinner. Naturally it is impossible for me to understand precisely how a swordsman feels about his blade and his skills - perhaps it's something unavoidable that you need to let out every once in a while, I don't know - but I'm not pleased with what I saw."

Well. As far as confessions went, this was not what Soujiro was expecting at all. "I humbly apologize, Tae-san," he said softly. "Yahiko mentioned your displeasure with swordsmen, and I was foolish enough to think that I might be exempt from that."

Tae pressed her lips into a line. "My experience with men trained in the art of war is that, on some level, they enjoy the power they hold over those without it. They like dealing out judgment as they see fit, and many of them kill simply to feel the blood on their hands. I told you that war has touched my life, Soujiro-san - through the Bakumatsu, and over and over again in recent years - and I have suffered injury from each skirmish. But never have I been more hurt than when I saw my friends and my family wearing the sort of - of exhilaration on their faces that fighting brings. And it sickens and saddens me," she snapped bitterly, "to think that you might be just like everyone else."

Soujiro sat back on his heels. Just two minutes ago, it had seemed that Tae was calm - a little flustered, perhaps, but still mostly calm. Through the course of her explanation, she had somehow worked herself into a state of dark agitation, and Soujiro was reminded how uncomplicated and, frankly, _easier_ it was to operate without the powerful sway of emotion. If Tae was thinking more clearly, then surely she wouldn't be bothered by these trivialities that she protested against. True, some swordsmen did enjoy taking lives and relished the spray of blood and viscera that accompanied it, but Soujiro didn't. Death was just something that was necessary sometimes. A convenience, mostly. But blood was messy and it stained clothing, and Soujiro didn't like getting dirty.

He could hardly tell that to Tae, though.

So when he did reply, he did so with as much honestly as possible. "I'm not like that, Tae-san."

She shuddered. "I'm not sure I can believe that," she said.

"I'm not. I have never lied to you, Tae-san." _Not outright, anyway,_ he amended silently.

"Perhaps not." Her voice was as quiet as his. "But even so, I'm not sure if I would have hired you if I had known."

Tae's words from earlier that day came back to him, and he raised his chin. "You told me that you thought anyone could change," he told her softly, and watched as she flinched. "I may have been a swordsman, but I haven't been for some time now."

He didn't point out her hypocrisy, but the words hung between them nonetheless: _you believe Himura Kenshin has changed, so why not me?_

Tae swallowed and looked away. She sighed. "What a terrible day this has been. I just wish I could erase it all from my memory."

Soujiro stiffened slightly. _Erase it all._ That meant this morning, and the moment they'd shared. Surely that was her emotions talking - Tae didn't really think that the entire day was worth forgetting...

...did she? Her face gave nothing away, so he focused on her ki. A deep weariness had taken the place of her hatred, but beneath that he felt nothing but sincerity. She was telling the truth.

It stung. That surprised Soujiro - he hadn't thought the rejection would hurt, let alone this early in the game. He bent his head, hoping to hide any disappointment that had managed to make its way onto his face. Wandering had been a grave mistake, if he had let himself care and be hurt so easily.

_No,_ Soujiro realized, gazing down at his cup. The petals of the sakura had opened up and the tea was ready to drink, but he no longer wanted it. _No, it's not that I've grown so weak - it's that events beyond my control ruined my meticulous planning. Tae's affections can't be rushed now, especially since the situation has become so precarious. The pain isn't because I care for her - it's that I'll have to start all over in the pursuit to gain her trust. And it will take time, which I cannot afford._

He had to cut his losses for the evening. Later, perhaps, when Tae could let him back into his heart, when she was comfortable around him again, when she wanted him enough to give him another invitation - then he would return to her room. Soujiro gave Tae a deep bow. "I'm sorry for any pain or grief I have caused you. I think my departure will give you some peace. Goodnight, Tae-san."

He silently rose and went to the door. He had nearly closed it behind him when Tae's voice called out to him. "I'll see you tomorrow, Soujiro-san."

She spoke to him - that was something. And she was willing to see him again, so perhaps he didn't have to start again entirely from scratch. Hiding his spark of optimism, Soujiro nodded to her and left.

* * *

As soon as the door shut behind Soujiro, Tae let out her breath in a slow sigh. She hated confrontations and she hated feeling upset, especially at one of her employees.

Especially at Soujiro.

She remembered the look on his face when she told him how terrible today was - staggering shock, ever so brief before he smoothly wiped it away, but she had seen it nonetheless - and the memory of it twisted inside her guiltily. She shouldn't have spoken so candidly. And before that, she shouldn't have snapped at him and told him to be silent. She should have been a little kinder to him. She should have taken into account his own feelings and how it would sound if those words were spoken to her...

She'd just have to apologize. Tomorrow, she would tell him she was sorry.

What was the matter with her, anyway? Tae's shoulders slouched and she dropped her face into her hand. Why did it seem that every time Soujiro was beside her - when they were alone, or having a private moment - all her training with control and composure seemed to fall away? Why could she never behave as professionally with him as with everyone else?

It wasn't as though he was the only male employee she had; Nizuno, Urato, and Yahiko worked under her, and she had no trouble remaining collected around them. _And when I first met Soujiro five years ago, _she recalled, _I lost my composure then, too. I told him, a _guest_ in the restaurant, what I really felt. What I really wanted._

_So it's just Soujiro, then, _she thought, sighing. _It's just Soujiro that manages to unravel my poise._

The best thing - the most _professional _thing - she could do would be to distance herself from him. She could use this conversation, her anger, and her distrust against him as a starting point. The more withdrawn from him she became, the safer she would be, and the easier it would be to do her job as the manager of the Akabeko. And it would eliminate so many complications - complications of propriety, of favoritism, and of dominance that she would much rather avoid in a future that might possibly - could possibly - come up.

But...

But Tae remembered the feel of Soujiro's hands as they curved around her waist, strong and warm under her winter coat. She remembered the vibrant blue of his eyes against the winter sky, his soft breath on her neck, how her heart beat fast as he drew her close -

Her heart was beating fast even now as she remembered it. Tae felt her face heating in embarrassment - _silly, _she chided herself softly, _there's no one in this room to see me - _and quickly drank what was left of her tea. It was lukewarm now, but she appreciated the salty taste. Her eyes flickered over to the empty cushion, where Soujiro had been sitting just a few minutes ago, and she froze at the sight of his untouched cup.

"How inconsiderate of me," she sighed, pressing her fingertips against her forehead in frustration. She really was terrible. _I'll make it up to him,_ she told herself. _I'll apologize. I'll tell him I owe him another cup of tea. I'll say..._

_ I'll say... what?_

Tae placed her other hand against her chest. She could feel her heart tripping against her ribcage, beating out a staccato rhythm as if Soujiro were still here. As if he were sitting right next to her, looking at her with that curious look of his.

Did he know?

She glanced at the wall between their bedrooms, the one they both shared. Was he there now? It was late enough that he'd probably want to go straight to sleep. He was probably in his room now, getting ready to sleep. Tae took a breath and held it, willing her heart to slow.

It only raced faster.

She slowly exhaled and opened her eyes. "Do you know?" She whispered. "Soujiro-san... do you understand how I...?"

But she couldn't even finish. Even without him in the room, she couldn't even finish the question.

* * *

"I just don't understand it," Yahiko said.

Kenshin glanced over at him, his eyebrows raised slightly. "Hmm?"

"I mean, it's almost been two weeks since the fight, and nothing has happened. _Nothing._ I've been watching Sou just like you said, but he's done nothing out of the ordinary."

"Well that's good, isn't it?" Kaoru was sitting a little apart from them, little Shinta in her arms. Kenji was sprawled on his stomach on the floor, very seriously playing with a handful of little wooden figurines. "You said you didn't want anything to come of it, anyway."

Yahiko huffed. "Yeah, but I didn't think it would be _boring_. I feel like I spent all that extra time hanging around the Akabeko for nothing."

"Not for nothing," Kaoru pointed out, sending him a look that clearly said _don't play dumb with me_. "You got to spend more time with Tsubame, didn't you?"

Of course Kaoru would point out something so obvious as that. She could be such a _girl_ sometimes. "Yeah yeah," Yahiko conceded, shifting his gaze away from her.

Kenshin came to his rescue. "What did he do?" He asked gently, steering the conversation back on track.

Yahiko turned to him gratefully. "Sou just does his job. I mean, sometimes he does help the chefs cut things up when they're really busy, but most of the time he just waits tables. He's real nice about it and the customers love him, but he doesn't do anything besides what he's been asked to do." He shrugged. "I asked him a few times about where he trained, more about his style and techniques and stuff like that, but he always tells me 'now isn't the time to talk about it.' He won't even spar with me anymore."

"Careful, Yahiko." Kaoru smiled teasingly. "You're starting to sound like a whiner."

"Am not," he snapped back. "Soujiro's being real sneaky about everything, that's all."

"You sure? That just sounded like whining to me."

Yahiko groaned. Kaoru was Kaoru, alright - motherhood hadn't changed her one bit. He opened his mouth to retort something equally stupid in return, when Kenshin spoke again. "Do you think this Soujiro is a danger to Tae-dono and the Akabeko?"

Both Kaoru and Yahiko turned to look at Kenshin, but Kenshin didn't move, one elbow perched on his bent knee, waiting for a response. Yahiko had seen Kenshin in that pose many times - all he needed was the sakabato nestled against his shoulder. Then it would be like the old days when Yahiko was younger, back when the world seemed so dangerous and the battles were fiercer, when he everything he dreamed seemed beyond his reach and yet so possible when he stood beside Kenshin and Sano -

"Yahiko," Kenshin said softly.

Yahiko snapped out of his nostalgia. _Things are different now,_ he reminded himself as he cleared his throat. _We have peace and security now - it just needs to be protected._ "At this point, I would have to say no: Sou isn't a danger. His reluctance to show his skills is evidence enough that he doesn't want to harm anyone."

"... but?" Kenshin queried when Yahiko trailed off.

"But..." Yahiko continued slowly, "I can't be sure. I could tell that he wasn't fighting to the best of his ability when we sparred - he was intentionally slowing down. But even though I was able to block everything, there wasn't really a feeling behind his moves."

"Because he didn't want to fight, you mean?" Kaoru asked. Kenji was growing restless, so Kaoru wordlessly slid a little calligraphy tray toward him, distracting the boy once again.

"Yeah," Yahiko said, watching Kenji sit up and reach for a brush. He struggled with the inkpot lid for a few seconds before Kaoru bent down to help. "But he was also hard to read. It was... strange. I've never faced anyone like that before."

Kenshin was silent for a while, his eyes focused on the ground, a pensive look on his face. Eventually he murmured, "this one would like to meet Soujiro, that I would."

"Tae offered to bring him by," Kaoru reminded him, shifting Shinta in her arms. "She said she wanted us to meet him."

Kenshin inclined his head. "Perhaps, in a few weeks - "

"Or in a month or two," she corrected mildly.

"Or in a month or two," Kenshin agreed without missing a beat. Yahiko managed not to roll his eyes, but only because Kaoru was watching. "Perhaps then an invitation should be sent to Tae-dono, asking them to visit."

"Hey, that's another thing!" Yahiko leaned back on his hands. "I think Sou likes Tae."

Kenshin and Kaoru looked at him with wide eyes. "You sure? Not the other way around?" Kaoru asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Nah - well, maybe. I dunno what goes through Tae's head, but Sou's totally different - it's obvious that's what he's doing." He shrugged. "Anyway, Sou does all these favors for her. Like, he bought her some new shoes when one of them broke on the way home from visiting you guys. He always serves her when she eats, and he's always by her side. He even invited her to eat at that new Western-style restaurant that just opened up downtown - "

He paused at the utterly blank looks on their faces. "Really?" Yahiko asked in a flat voice. "That really popular new restaurant? Called Europe House?" He sighed. "Neither of you know what I'm talking about, do you?"

"A Western restaurant?" Kaoru echoed, blinking.

"Oro?" Kenshin asked, eyes wide.

He groaned. "Ugh, never mind. The point is, Sou asked Tae there _alone._ So it'll just be the two of them."

Kaoru hummed thoughtfully. "You're right, Yahiko, it does sound like Soujiro likes her quite a bit."

Yahiko nodded, but he was frowning. It wasn't that he didn't wish Tae every happiness - he did - but the fact that Soujiro was trying to make himself into a romantic figure for Tae bothered him. Couldn't Sou see how... how bizarre that was? If he was a customer or a friend, then that would be fine. But Tae was his _employer._ And on top of that, Soujiro's employer_ who was a woman. _Any romantic relationship between them couldn't happen. That just wasn't done, it wouldn't be accepted.

Besides, what if Soujiro had come from a noble family, or a family of samurai? Sure, the social boundaries had been breaking down since the Revolution, but they hadn't broken down enough for that. Even if all of Tae's friends and her family and her other employees were okay with it, word would get around. It always did. And there were people out there who would still condemn them for it: for a noble boy to condescend to work for a lower class girl, and that she would dare to love him back.

And Tae was like the distant, kinder-than-Kaoru type of sister that Yahiko'd never had. He still remembered the taunts and the cruelty after his parents left him an orphan, and he didn't want her to feel even a fraction of that injustice.

It was all very worrying.

He glanced from Kenshin to Kaoru, hoping to see some of the concern he felt reflected on their faces. Kenshin was frowning, wearing that contemplative look once more, but a slow smile was pulling at Kaoru's mouth. "I think this is good for Tae," she said. "She's been alone for so long, and she deserves to be happy."

"You say that like you think it's actually gonna happen," he said, crossing his arms. "Don't you think it's kind of... weird, them together?"

"What? Why? And 'weird' compared to who, exactly?" She shot him a glare like she was daring him to present Kenshin and herself as the token 'weird' couple, and Yahiko sighed. Of course Kaoru would object to something like that.

"Whatever. You think Tae likes Sou? She doesn't really act like it."

"She does," Kaoru said, and that soft smile returned to her face. "She likes him."

Yahiko shrugged. Trust girls to believe crazy stuff like that, even though it couldn't possibly be right. Whatever Kaoru saw, it wasn't obvious to him. "Well, I gotta get back," he said, pushing himself to his feet. "They'll probably need me to help out or go fetch something before dinner hits the Akabeko."

Kenji looked up from his artwork of blob monsters. "I wanna go to the Akabeko, okasan," he said to Kaoru. "I'm hungry."

She smoothed down his hair. "Not today, Kenji."

"But I'm hungry," he said obviously, as if the only way to remove his hunger would be to eat out.

"Another time, perhaps," Kenshin said gently, smiling at his son.

He wrinkled his nose at his father. "Didn't want you to come anyway," he muttered, turning away. "I wanna go with Yahiko."

Yahiko struggled not to laugh at the look on Kenshin's face. "Sure, I'll take you with me anytime," Yahiko said, pushing down the long sleeves under his jacket to cover his wrists. "But only if I get your mom and dad's permission."

Kenji spun around to face Kaoru, his mouth spread in a huge hopeful grin. "Please?" he begged. "I wanna go, I wanna go!"

"Hmm..." Kaoru looked up at Kenshin. A look passed between them, and Yahiko could tell that Kenshin was going to say no. Kenji must have seen it too, because he turned pleading eyes to Yahiko.

_Damn it. _Yahiko suppressed a sigh. Kenji's expectant face was nearly as powerful as Tsubame's, and heaven knew he couldn't turn her down even if he wanted to. Yahiko reluctantly cleared his throat, knowing he was being used by the little brat. "I'll keep an eye on him," he volunteered. "He won't go out of my sight, I promise. I'll keep him away from - certain people, if you want," he said, pausing slightly since he knew Kenji was listening intently.

"That would be preferable, that it would," Kenshin said slowly.

Just as Yahiko predicted, Kenji immediately asked, "who? Who is it? I wanna know! You can tell me!"

"Later, Kenji." He smiled fondly at his son.

"No, I wanna know now!"

"Hey, don't be like that." Yahiko grinned at Kenji and raised his eyebrow. "Your dad just said that you can come with me. Maybe... tomorrow?" He glanced at Kenshin for confirmation. Kenshin nodded slightly, and Yahiko shrugged. "See? He's not all bad."

Kenji's answer was only to turn and stick out his tongue at Kenshin.

"You've done it now, Yahiko." Kaoru sent him an amused glance as she leaned forward to smooth out the collar of Kenji's kimono. "You've given your word, so keep Kenji away from him."

Yahiko nodded, but unease roiled in his stomach. _Soujiro isn't dangerous, _he told himself. _He's not._

_I hope._


	8. In Traffic of Wit

**A/N: Hello everyone! I'm back! :) One thing led to another, and so on and so on - but here it is at last!**

**Since it's been a while, I gave you a chapter that's longer than my usual ones. Remember that super awkward, super awesome Tae/Sou moment I promised you guys? Yeah, it's totally there (I may or may not have been secretly looking forward to this scene since I came up with this story...)**

**A quick shout-out to the wave of new followers I got: welcome! :D**

**Please do review, and please enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: In Traffic of Wit**

Kenji was nearly bouncing up and down by the time Yahiko came by the dojo the next morning. "I'm ready!" He called, hopping down the steps to meet Yahiko halfway. "I'm ready, let's go!"

Yahiko grinned down at the little boy. He wondered if Kenshin had ever been that excited at the proud age of four, and supposed that if he was, he might have looked just like little Kenji, all bundled up in his thick winter coat. "Alright, alright," he told the boy. "You warm enough?"

"Yup!"

"You sure?" he pressed. "It's a bit of a walk to the Akabeko."

Kenji scrunched up his face into a frown. "Yeah, I know. And otōsan already asked me about that, _twice._" He turned to glare over his shoulder.

Yahiko looked up to see Kenshin silently watching them, his hands tucked up under his sleeves. Yahiko nodded in greeting. " 'Morning, Kenshin."

"Yahiko." The tone of his low voice made Yahiko's skin prickle. Kenshin sounded serious, and seemed to be in no mood to participate in playful banter. "Do you remember what you said last night?"

"Of course," Yahiko said lightly, but he felt his spirits begin to sink. He didn't want to begin the day with another defense of Soujiro's qualities. And he hated arguing with Kenshin, anyway - even if he knew he was right, it always felt like he was wrong somehow by contradicting him.

Kenshin stared at Yahiko, his violet gaze firm. "Be cautious. Take care of my son."

Coming from Kenshin, Yahiko knew the expectations would be high. "I will," he promised, but couldn't help adding, "but Soujiro's alright, really. You just haven't met him yet."

"This Soujiro..." Kenshin's eyes darkened at the name and he looked away. Yahiko waited, watching as Kenshin sighed, his breath clouding in the cold air. Slowly the red-haired man shook his head and shut his eyes. His words, when he spoke, were guarded. "There were moments last night, when... there were memories that came... that were remembered from that name..."

Yahiko blinked. It took him a moment, then suddenly he knew. "No," he said immediately. "No, that's impossible. I mean, it's been five years."

Kenshin didn't reply.

"Sou's not _that _Soujiro - he's not scary enough for that," Yahiko said dismissively. "Besides, why would the Tenken work as a waiter at the Akabeko? That's just plain stupid."

His eyes softened slightly at Yahiko's words. "The thought is strange," he admitted quietly.

"And someone would totally recognize him," Yahiko continued pointedly. "I mean, I think I know the Tenken enough from all your stories to recognize him if I saw him. The Soujiro that's here now - he's just another swordsman. The name is common enough. The real Tenken probably died in the mountains somewhere."

Kenshin smiled - that small smile that was meant to convey comfort, but Yahiko wasn't deceived. "I hope you are right, Yahiko."

Yahiko raised his eyebrows at him. "I know I am. Don't worry about it. Kenji will be safe with me."

At the mention of his name, Kenji began tugging on the fabric of Yahiko's hakama. "Stop talking and let's go," he complained. "I wanna go, I wanna go."

Yahiko glanced over at Kenshin, waiting for permission, and Kenshin slowly nodded. Kenji, who had also been watching his father, crowed with delight and began to pull more insistently on Yahiko's leg. Yahiko grinned and allowed himself to be towed along. "I'll bring him back after lunch," he called back. "Don't worry."

"Remember what you promised," Kenshin reminded him.

That's right: keep Kenji away from _certain people._ Yahiko sighed but nodded. "I will. He won't even know we're there."

* * *

"Soujiro-san, will you see if it's still snowing?" Tae asked. She was kneeling beside one of the zashiki tables, systematically fluffing the cushions.

Soujiro smiled. He had been following behind her, placing chopsticks at each table in preparation for the noonday meal. "Of course, Tae-san," he murmured, setting his box down beside her. She gave him a quick smile before turning back to the cushions, but that small glimmer of affection was enough.

It was just more proof that Soujiro's plan was working.

That night two weeks ago had shaken him, at least in the beginning. Tae's skill of disguising her emotions had forced him to rely on her ki for insight to her feelings. Usually a person's ki was a mirror into their deepest thoughts, but not Tae. For the first time, Soujiro could imagine what it might be like for others who had tried to puzzle out his true emotions. No wonder the Juppongatana had never seemed to like him very much - even to them, his companions in the same cause, he had still been an enigma.

So he had left Tae's room that night wondering if he had failed, hoping that there was still time to smooth over his mistakes and get her to accept him once again. He had even begun to plan alternative strategies and additional steps he could take; obviously he wasn't affectionate enough, but that wouldn't be hard - he'd just have to mimic Yumi and Tae's reluctance would surely collapse eventually. He'd scrape together the money to buy her a new painting, he'd buy her the new shoes he'd promised, he'd purchase her affection if he had to -

...and then, just after he had extinguished the light to go to sleep, everything had changed.

Tae's ki, which Soujiro was already so attuned to, _shifted _slightly, then spiked. Such incredible warmth bloomed from her - tenderness, concern, and breathless affection - and it burst out like a wave so abruptly that he had frozen in place, his hand on the futon's blankets, ready to pull them aside.

Where had all that emotion been hiding?

Then he knew: Tae had hidden them from him. She hadn't wanted him to know. Through the years of working at the restaurant, she had acquired the skill to suppress her feelings and, at the same time, minimize her ki. _That_ was why her professional mask was so seamless, and _that _was why she was so successful a business woman. Soujiro should have seen that before. _Of course._

Then the realization hit him.

That warmth was for him.

He hadn't failed after all.

Tae was slowly falling in love with him.

In the darkness, Soujiro grinned with triumph.

The days since then had been easy. A gentle touch here, a lingering look there. He gave these small signs of devotion to her as often as he could, hoping to spark a sign of the buried feelings she had for him. Most of the time he was rewarded by a quick glance of surprise, a stubborn twitch of her lips, or cold silence. But yesterday, _yesterday, _when he abruptly asked her to go to that Western restaurant with him, he was gratified to see a faint blush of pink rise against her cheeks.

Tae cared about him. Even if she pretended she didn't, even if she acted like there was nothing between them, there was.

And he would make it more.

Soujiro trotted over to the front of the restaurant and ducked into the screened entry. He braced himself for the cold air that he knew would come bursting in and slid open the door -

- only to come face-to-face with Yahiko.

For a couple seconds they stared at each other, Yahiko in open-mouthed shock, Soujiro in pretend surprise. Then Soujiro smiled, about to greet him with some generic comment, when Yahiko's face scrunched up in dismay.

"_Dammit,_" he groaned.

Soujiro tipped his head to the side, trying hard not to laugh. "That's an unusual way to greet someone."

"Damn it," he said again, and ran his hand through his hair. "I thought you'd be in the kitchen."

"Not today, I'm not."

"Just my luck." Yahiko sighed, the air hissing out between his teeth. He swore again under his breath.

"Damn eet!" A small voice echoed in a clear, high voice. "Damn eet, damn eet!"

Yahiko's face paled with horror. Soujiro leaned around him to see and went rigid with shock. A miniature Battousai stood just behind Yahiko, a huge grin on his small face. Everything matched: the exact shade of his striking hair, the gentle lavender of his twinkling eyes, the slim nose and delicately arched brows -

_This is Himura's son,_ Soujiro thought. He did a quick sweep, just to make sure, but there was no mistake - the Battousai had not accompanied his son.

Interesting.

"No," Yahiko said, his voice laced with terror. "No, stop saying that word. It's not a good word."

"Damn eet! Damn eet!" The boy chirped.

"I mean it, stop saying that word. I am _not_ gonna be the one to teach you a swear word."

"Swear word! I know a swear word!"

Yahiko groaned again. "Ugh, this is a nightmare. Your dad is gonna kill me. _Twice_," he added, sighing.

Soujiro considered the young man in front of him. There must be a reason why he would bring Himura's son to the Akabeko - especially without either of his parents. _They must trust Yahiko very much, _he thought, _to let him bring the boy out alone._

_ But more important than that, they do not suspect _me_._

It had been something that Soujiro had considered, but never allowed himself to worry about. If Yahiko was really as close to Himura as rumors claimed, then surely he would have mentioned Soujiro to the Battousai. Which would have been no surprise - without a doubt, Soujiro would have reported it to Shishio if the roles were reversed. And although Soujiro supposed that Himura was a much softer man than he used to be, even five years ago, his son's appearance here meant one of two things: either he had chosen to believe that Soujiro was not the same one who served under Shishio, or this was a test to determine what the Tenken might do when faced with his enemy's child.

Soujiro knew better than to delude himself; this was absolutely, definitely a test.

Yahiko was still arguing with the Battousai's son. Soujiro cleared his throat. "And who is this?" he asked, gazing down at the boy with a look of mild interest.

Yahiko scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, well," he began uncomfortably, "this is - "

"I'm Kenji!" The child broke in, sending Soujiro a bright grin.

"Hello, Kenji-chan," Soujiro said. "My name is Soujiro."

Kenji thought about that for a moment. "I think I'll call you Sou," he said decisively. "That's what Yahiko calls you, and I'll call you that too."

"Fair enough," Soujiro said. "Did you come to have lunch at the Akabeko today?"

"Yup. But also to meet you, Sou."

He paused for a moment. Well, at least the boy was honest. "Now that you have, would you like to come in, Kenji-chan?"

"Just Kenji!" He said firmly, and for a second Soujiro caught a glimpse of Himura's stern, no-nonsense expression on the boy's small features.

"Sorry about that," Soujiro said and stepped aside, gesturing for him to come in. "I didn't know we were so well acquainted."

"We are," Kenji said offhandedly, and skipped inside. Yahiko followed close behind, rolling his eyes at Soujiro when he passed. Soujiro grinned and shut the door behind them.

"Kenji!" Tae gasped in surprise as the little boy came barreling into her. "Where did you come from?" She patted his back and peered above his head, looking about. "Did you come with your mother or father?"

"They're both still at home." Kenji leaned back to grin at her. "Yahiko brought me."

She sent Yahiko a quick smile and bent down to tug playfully at the end of his ponytail. "It's been a while since you've visited the Akabeko, huh? I didn't notice when I came the other day, but your hair is getting so long. Are you going to cut it, like your father?"

Soujiro stopped in surprise. _Himura cut his hair...? _He tried to imagine the Battousai with short hair and failed.

Kenji stuck out his tongue. "_No_. I'm not gonna be like otōsan at all!" His twisted his head, pulling his hair out of her fingers.

Tae blinked in surprise. "That's okay, no one expects you to, Kenji - "

But the boy had tired of their conversation. He spotted Tsubame, who had just emerged from the kitchen, and raced toward her. Tsubame noticed him a moment later and bent down with a squeal, scooping him up in her arms. "Kenji, it's been so long!" She crooned, pressing her cheek against his. "You're so big! I can't believe how big you are! And you've gotten so cute!"

Yahiko sighed, but he didn't hide the smile that tugged at the ends of his lips. "They always make such a scene," he complained. "I'd better go break it up before she embarrasses herself even more."

Soujiro stood by Tae and watched as Yahiko went over to stand by Tsubame. He tried to pull Kenji out of her arms, but she resisted, exclaiming that the little boy was so _kawaii_! Kenji only laughed, pleased he was at the center of attention, and after a few attempts Yahiko gave up. He narrowed his eyes and tried his best to look annoyed, but it was obvious he was secretly pleased.

_They will be married one day_, Soujiro thought, gazing at them. If Kenji's hair were not completely the wrong color, Soujiro could easily imagine that the child was theirs. The happiness on Tsubame's face could not have made her look any more warm and joyful than if she really was a mother. And Yahiko was the picture of a bashful yet proud father, his hand lingering on Tsubame's elbow as if he, too, wanted to envelop them both in an embrace.

"Children don't like me," Tae murmured, breaking into Soujiro's thoughts.

He looked down at her in surprise. She, too, was gazing at Tsubame and Kenji, a sad smile on her face. "That's not true, Tae-san," Soujiro told her. "Kenji seemed very happy to see you."

She shrugged one shoulder, unconvinced. "Well, I suppose I should have said that I'm not very good with children. So I think that makes it difficult for them to like me back."

Soujiro frowned. Why did this concern her so much? "Children are just little adults," he said simply.

"I don't think so," she said. Then she glanced up at him, as if she had just now realized what he'd said. "Is that how you treat children? Like they're little adults?"

Now it was his turn to shrug. "Why not?"

For some reason Tae began to smile, but before she had a chance to respond, Kenji's voice called out from the other side of the restaurant. "Tae-san! I'm hungry!"

"You are?" She rose from the floor and reached down to brush out the folds in her apron. "Alright, I'll make you something - "

"No!" Kenji's eyes moved from Tae to Soujiro. "I want Sou to make it for me!"

Soujiro blinked in surprise. Next to Kenji, Yahiko scoffed. "You really are Kaoru's child, you brat."

Kenji's head whipped around. "Hey!"

"Alright, then." Soujiro bowed and gestured to a table. "Please have a seat, Kenji-san."

Kenji's eyes lit up. He wriggled out of Tsubame's arms and padded over to Soujiro. He plopped himself down on one of the newly-fluffed cushions and beamed. "I would like udon noodles and onions - "

"The drink comes first, stupid," Yahiko said, kneeling down on Kenji's other side. "D'you want some tea?"

He thought about it, then a huge smile burst across his face. "Sake!"

"_No_." Yahiko bonked the top of the boy's head with his fist. "You are not having sake."

"Ow..." The boy screwed up his eyes, his hands on his head. "Damn eet..."

"No!" Yahiko bonked him again. "You're not saying that word either!"

"I'll get you some tea," Soujiro said. He kept the smile plastered to his face, but sighed internally. Somehow he had expected the son of the Battousai to be... well, more like his father. But it seemed that the only thing Kenji shared with his infamous father was his visage. "What else did you want besides noodles and onions?" he asked, inclining his head respectfully to the boy.

Kenji looked up at him. "Um... you mean, besides the beef?" When Soujiro nodded, Kenji shrugged. "That's all!"

"That's easy enough," Soujiro said cheerfully. He bobbed his head again and headed off to the kitchens to request the order.

* * *

Kenji was a fast eater. By the time he had finished and had helped to clear away his plates, the first guests had begun to arrive at the restaurant.

"Are you ready to go back home now?" Yahiko asked, holding up Kenji's winter jacket by its stiff collar. "I told your parents that I'd bring you back after you ate lunch."

Kenji gave him a smug smile. "Nope, you said _after lunch_, not after _I_ ate lunch. And lunchtime is just starting!"

Yahiko scowled at him. "Hey - "

"Besides," Kenji cut in, wheeling about to gaze up at Soujiro, "I wanna stay with Soujiro for a while."

"Oh?" Soujiro looked down at the boy before him. The child's ki was brimming with hope, with an undercurrent of curiosity and... mischief? _That_ was an emotion that Soujiro hadn't felt in a while. The boy clearly wanted more than to just follow along as he waited on tables.

Yahiko gave him a look that said, _you don't have to humor him if you really don't want to,_ but Soujiro only smiled. There would be benefits that would come from befriending the Battousai's son, that he was certain. He would be a fool to pass on the opportunity to gain Kenji's trust.

"It may be boring," Soujiro warned the boy, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

Kenji tried to mimic Soujiro's expression, but couldn't manage to keep one brow raised without the other tagging along. After a few attempts he gave up and crossed his arms. "We'll see about that," he said, his annoyance with himself making his voice petulant.

"Well, if you're sure." He shrugged lightly. "Then I don't mind."

"Hey hey," Yahiko protested as a victorious grin split Kenji's face. "If you're just giving in because of his face - "

"Face?" Soujiro gave him an innocent expression. "Does someone's face really have the power to sway emotion, Yahiko? I hadn't considered that before."

He scoffed. "Yeah, right," he muttered.

"Perhaps Kenji wants to become a waiter when he grows up, and that's why he's curious." Soujiro turned away from Yahiko to give Kenji a small wink.

Instantly the boy's puzzled frown vanished and he nodded. "It's always an option," he told Yahiko, with enough mock sincerity that Soujiro was impressed, despite himself.

_There might be something to the boy after all, _he thought, inclining his head politely to Yahiko. "There's your answer," he said smoothly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I have some tables to attend to."

Yahiko sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah, whatever. I'll be waiting in the kitchen when you're done."

Kenji waved cheekily.

From table to table, Kenji followed Soujiro as he went to take their orders. The customers gave Kenji a curious glance, but were too polite to ask why he trailed along behind him. Kenji himself didn't speak much while Soujiro was with the guests, and soon most everyone forgot he was there - like a little shadow. But Soujiro wasn't fooled. Kenji was watching, listening, observing.

Observing _him._

Soujiro sent the boy a glance as he finished taking an order. Kenji's bright eyes were fixed on him - only a few times in the last hour had Soujiro felt the rapt focus of the boy's ki waver - and though his face remained deceptively serious, a small smile quirked the corner of his mouth. For such a young face, it gave very little away.

"What are you thinking of?" Soujiro asked quietly as he ducked out of the main room and made his way down the hall to the kitchen.

"Huh?" The boy skipped forward a few steps and leaned around to look in Soujiro's face. "You mean right now, or a couple seconds ago?"

Soujiro sent him a sideways look. "What were you thinking about while you watched me?" he clarified.

"Oh, I was wondering if you knew any ghost stories."

The answer was so prompt that it could only have been the truth. Soujiro's mouth twisted as he tried not to smile. "A plate with everything on it," he told the chefs, then turned to Kenji. "It's the wrong season for ghost stories."

Urato glanced from Soujiro to Kenji and grinned, but didn't comment.

"But ghosts exist all year long," the boy pointed out, "so I dunno why we only talk about them in the summertime."

Soujiro pressed a finger against his chin thoughtfully. "Hm, I never thought about that before. I guess you're right."

"So does that mean you'll tell me a ghost story?"

"Yeah," Urato chimed in as he finished chopping the noodles and started with the mushrooms. "Will you tell us a ghost story, kid?"

"A ghost story?" Nizuno's head poked up in surprise.

Soujiro waved his hand dismissively. "No, no. It's the wrong season for it, as I said." Not that he didn't know some good ghost stories - he did. All of them had come from Shishio, who took it upon himself to start out each summer with a scary ghost story. Yumi had always been appalled and covered her ears, but Soujiro made himself listen, knowing that if he never heard the conclusion, he'd wonder how it ended. But Shishio was a master of suspense and storytelling, and his low, dry voice always gave his tales a haunting edge.

One night, after a particularly chilling story, Soujiro had stayed up all night with a candle by his side, too afraid to fall asleep. The story had been about the ghost of a mother mourning her child, and something about it made Soujiro fearful, as if he expected the ghost from the tale to appear in his room. For weeks afterwards, the words had rolled around in Soujiro's mind, refusing to let him rest. Even now, all these years later, the remembered fear still sparked a sense of unease in him.

He would not tell that story. Not now, not ever.

Kenji exhaled shortly, stirring his long orange bangs. "You're no fun," he declared unhappily.

Soujiro bobbed one shoulder. "I won't tell a ghost story," he said, "but I will tell you a story about the Akabeko."

That earned him a doubtful look. "It's a strange one," Soujiro continued. "Do you know the small storeroom, on the other side of the kitchen?"

"The one in the back, by the garden?" Kenji asked skeptically.

"That's right. There's only one entrance to the storeroom, even though it would be much easier to attach a doorway right here, into the side of the kitchen." He pointed to the wall by Nizuno. Kenji and both the chefs turned to look. "Do you know why?"

"Why?" Urato and Kenji asked together.

"Because when Tae-san's uncle bought the restaurant, the previous owner made him promise never to create an entrance directly into the main building."

"Why would he ask that?" Kenji asked. His periwinkle eyes were wide with fascination.

"Because it isn't safe," Soujiro said. "Have you ever seen anyone spend very long in the storeroom?"

"No..."

"That's because there's something inside, waiting."

"What's waiting?"

"No one can say for sure." He smiled. "No one has seen it in the light. But it's always wanted to come out, and having two doors to the storeroom would only make it easier to exact it's revenge."

Kenji gasped. "That's why Tae-san always keeps the door locked!"

"It also explains why my skin feels all crawly after I go in there to look for something," Urato muttered. Nizuno rolled his eyes.

"So be careful when you go near the storeroom," Soujiro said, straightening. "You wouldn't want something to happen, would you?"

Kenji bit the bottom of his lip. He thought for several seconds before his eyes slowly met Soujiro's. "No," he agreed finally. "I guess not."

Good. Let the boy think on _that_ for a while. Soujiro turned to look at the chefs. Nizuno was carving up the meat, but Urato only stared, wide-eyed. Soujiro gave him an expectant look. "The plate...?"

"Oh, right." Hastily Urato finished the mushrooms, then moved on to the scallions and onions. As he piled the ingredients onto the serving plate, he asked in an undertone, "so... you made that up, right?"

Soujiro could see Kenji's gaze snap to him from the corner of his eye. "What do you mean?" he asked airily.

"That story. It isn't true ...is it?"

Soujiro made a show of shrugging pensively. "Who can say?" he said. "I haven't heard Tae-san speak a word otherwise, though. Have you?"

The look on his face nearly made Soujiro want to laugh. _So this is how rumors of ghosts are born_, he thought_. _The best part was, it had been so simple. His story wasn't even close to the worst he'd heard from Shishio, but it was so easy. _I suppose it doesn't matter, _he thought, glancing at Kenji's face, _if the audience wants to believe._

Perhaps that's what he'd been, too, all those years ago - a boy who wanted to believe.

* * *

Yahiko returned as the last few customers were leaving the restaurant. "You can't get out of it this time," he said to Kenji. "I have to take you home."

"I wanna come visit again!" The boy looked back over his shoulder at Soujiro. "You can tell me more not-ghost stories, next time!"

Yahiko looked up, a frown already appearing on his face. Tae, who just happened to be walking past, paused to smile at Kenji. "Leaving already? Well, please come back soon," she said, smiling.

"I will!"

Yahiko scratched the back of his head. "Yeah... expect him later rather than sooner, I think." For some reason, the thought made him wince. Soujiro blinked as Yahiko cleared his throat and turned abruptly to Tae. "So, hey, I meant to say this to you earlier - I heard you and Sou have a fancy date comin' up?"

"Oh..." Tae tried to keep up her smile, but Soujiro watched as it wilted slightly. "Oh, yes, that's tomorrow."

"At the Europe House?" he pressed, smirking.

"Yes, that's right."

"Ah, I thought so." Yahiko braced his hands against his hips. "Well, good luck on your date, you guys. I've never been there before, but I've heard it's supposed to be pretty nice."

Tae smoothed down the front of her apron. "Yes, I've... I've heard that as well."

Yahiko's dark eyes darted to Soujiro's. "You sure you have enough money to pay for dinner? Like I said, that place is fancy - "

Soujiro sent him a tilted smile. "I'm sure I can take care of myself, Yahiko, but thank you for your concern."

Tae cleared her throat. "So, Yahiko, I have a question for you, as well."

He looked back at her. "Yeah? What's up?"

"Did you remember to invite Kenshin and Kaoru to our Bōnenkai celebration? It's in a couple days, after all."

Yahiko nodded. "I mentioned it to 'em. I can bring it up again, but I don't think they'll come. You know how they are."

"I do," Tae agreed, but Soujiro heard the small sigh that followed her reply. "Well, tell them that the invitation still stands, if they wish to come."

"Will do." He grabbed the collar of Kenji's jacket and wheeled him around to face the exit. "C'mon, Kenji, let's get this over with."

"Over with?" the boy echoed.

"Er - take you home. You know what I meant."

Soujiro watched as Yahiko and Kenji walked through the restaurant, and around into the screened entry. He heard the door slide open, and Kenji's delighted squeal, "it's _snowing_!" accompanied by a low mutter from Yahiko.

"He liked you," Tae murmured as the door slid shut again.

Soujiro looked over at her. "Do you think so?" he asked, though he knew it was true. The fabricated tale about the haunted storeroom had done the trick - Kenji's ki had warmed with admiration, and Soujiro knew that the boy would return. The lure of the story was too strong _not_ to.

Tae was nodding. "Yes, I do." She smiled slightly. "You have a gift with children, Soujiro-san."

He only smiled in return. "If you say so, Tae-san."

"I wish you could meet Kenji's parents. Kenshin and Kaoru are so kind. I hoped you might be able to see them at Bōnenkai, but I guess it'll have to wait."

"That's alright," Soujiro said truthfully. He wasn't ready to meet the Battousai in person just yet.

But soon. If his plans fell into place, then he would be.

Soon.

* * *

It had been hours since Tae had extinguished her lamp. The stillness of the night hung heavily in her ears and each rustle of her blankets, each sigh was like a thunderclap. She squeezed her eyes together, wishing she could relax. There was only silence from the rooms on either side of her, and she knew that everyone was probably sleeping. Everyone except her, anyway.

Her mind had been spinning, playing Yahiko's words over and over again in her brain: _I heard you and Sou have a fancy date comin' up._ She remembered the suggestive smirk on his face, the way he arched his eyebrows at her, like he knew something that she didn't.

And Soujiro just had that little smile on his face, as if nothing was the matter. As if he hadn't heard any insinuations in the question at all.

Tae rolled over onto her side. Yahiko's words were just that - words. They meant nothing. Absolutely nothing. She and Soujiro... they weren't anything yet. He wasn't courting her, and he certainly hadn't declared any intention to...

...unless that was what this dinner was?

But when he'd asked her to Europe House, she'd looked at him, hard, and tried to decide what the meaning was behind the invitation. His face had always been indecipherable, and it was even more so in that moment. She couldn't tell what he'd been thinking.

_What do you want, Soujiro?_ Tae wondered for the hundredth time. She pulled her arms out from beneath her warm blankets and rubbed her eyes wearily. Her cheeks were cold in the night air. _What do you want with me?_

It was a question that she had no answer to, and her mind wouldn't let her sleep.

Tae groaned and scrubbed at her face, hoping to bring some heat to her skin. She'd never fall asleep at this rate; she knew herself well enough to recognize that if she was cold, her body wouldn't be able to relax until it warmed up again. That meant there was really only one thing she could do.

She opened her eyes and blinked blearily up at her ceiling. She took a deep breath, enjoying for a few more seconds the comfort of her thick blankets that she'd wrapped around herself like a cocoon, then pushed herself upright. She wriggled out of bed and went to her trunk. The room was dim enough that she could see a little, and she dug out a few pieces of clean clothing and piled them in her arms. Moving as quietly as she could, she left her room and shuffled through the hallway and down the stairs. She had to make a detour to the kitchen to get her coat - there was no way she was walking outside in the middle of the night without it - and then trudged to the outer door beneath the stairs.

A gust of sharp, frozen air blew in when Tae slid the door open and she shuddered. She made herself step outside, but it took longer than she hoped; the cold only seemed to make her sleepy movements even more lethargically slow as she reluctantly shut the door behind her.

A few faint flakes tumbled around her in the air as she made her way down the short path to the bathhouse, her shoes crunching in the snow. Tae squeezed her eyes together then rubbed at them with the heel of her hand, wishing her eyesight would stop being so blurry.

As she walked up the steps to the raised bathhouse, she pulled up a map of the interior in her mind. It would be too dark to see, but she had placed a stack of logs to the left of the door within easy reach, so all she'd have to do was take one or two around to the back and put them in the grate...

Tae paused inside the bathhouse and gently closed the door behind her. _It really must be cold tonight, _she thought. _It feels almost warm in here. _She turned and picked up a small log off to the side of the pile, then the larger one right next to it - then she froze.

_I can see them, _she realized, staring at the logs in stupefied amazement. _I can see them, so that must mean... _She looked around. Her eyes, now adjusted to the dim light of the windowless bathhouse, instantly found the pale glow of a distant lantern, just on the other side of the wall.

_There's someone here. _

Tae swallowed, her hand closing around her collar, just above her breastbone. She squeezed her folds of clean clothes against her chest and took a slow, cautious step forward. There were only a few people who it could be: Hana, Tsubame, or Soujiro. Hana did sometimes suffer from insomnia, but mostly in the hot summer months. Tsubame was actually a really heavy sleeper, so it couldn't have been her - so was it Soujiro? She had no idea what his sleep patterns were like...

_And stop right there, _she told herself sternly. _Better not to think about that. Not now._

Perhaps Hana couldn't sleep. Or she had awakened from the cold and only wanted to chase that chill away.

_Or what if it isn't any of them at all, _a voice murmured in the back of Tae's head. _What if someone else is in there - someone who broke in?_

The steam felt heavenly on Tae's skin, but she pushed the sensation aside. She braced her hand on the low wall that separated the small entry from the bath itself, watching the smoky patterns that the lantern's candle sent to the far wall. _It could be a trespasser,_ her traitorous mind whispered. _A person waiting to catch you off-guard. A murderer._

Tae bit her lip, silently cursing her overactive imagination. She pressed her knees against the floorboards, ready to bolt at the first sign of danger, and leaned forward to peer around the edge of the wall.

The lantern sat to the side of the bath, out of the water's reach. Its light flickered across the back of a slim man, standing waist deep in the water. His arms lifted a small bucket, and with one smooth motion, emptied it over his shoulders. He shook his head, scattering water droplets, and raised a hand to comb back his inky black hair. The contours of his rope-like muscles stood out in stark relief, the shadows dark against his golden skin. Tae's eyes widened, her heart pounding a terrible rhythm in her ears. She couldn't keep watching - it was indecent, she was spying, it was wrong - but she couldn't bear to tear herself away. Her eyes traced the soft line of his spine as it swooped down into the water -

His name rushed out in a faint sigh, one she couldn't hold back any longer.

Soujiro. It was Soujiro.


	9. Keep Us, All Devotion, At Your Feet

**A/N: Sorry for the late update, you guys. This chapter was really tough to write and, long story short, I'm tired of editing. So, here it is.  
**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Keep Us, All Devotion, At Your Feet**

"Soujiro."

Her voice came out louder than she expected, and his head turned sharply at the sound.

Tae gasped and ducked back into the shadows. At the sudden intake of breath, her vision turned spotty and her legs shook with the effort to keep herself upright. Apparently she had forgotten to breathe while she was watching. Watching _Soujiro. _Tae swallowed hard. She leaned against the wall and pressed her fingers between the planking, as if she could somehow force the wood to swallow her from view. The pain in her hands cleared her mind enough for a single thought: out. She had to get out.

"Is somebody there?" Soujiro called. Tae heard the water slosh and splash as Soujiro took a few steps toward the other side of the bath.

Tae's heart leapt into her throat. It would be better, she decided suddenly, if he knew she was there - so he didn't find her crouching on the ground, like a spy. She scrambled to her feet and turned her back firmly on the sounds of Soujiro's progress. "Ahh... I - " Her voice quivered. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I'm - I'm here. Soujiro-san, I - forgive me, I didn't know you were here too - "

She heard the soft pat-pat of water hitting the floor and she winced, knowing he was out of the bath. "Oh," he said lightly, "Tae-san, I didn't see you there."

She swallowed. "I didn't mean to, Soujiro - sorry, I didn't think - " She flinched at the mistake, her apology racing out, "I mean _Soujiro-san_, sorry, please forgive - "

"It's alright, you didn't see anything." And she could hear the indifference in his voice. A part of her - a distant part - was unsurprised that he seemed so unshaken. He was probably shrugging right now. Except that he wasn't clothed, so if she turned to look at him now, she would just see his bare chest -

She dug her fingernails into the folds of her clothes. The air burned against her cheeks, and she knew she was blushing. "I'm sorry. Soujiro-san, I'm so sorry - " Abruptly she lost her nerve. Tae ran for the exit, wishing she hadn't been so stupid, wishing this had never happened -

"Tae-san!" Soujiro called, and despite herself Tae paused, her hand on the door. Her heart was pounding fiercely in her chest. "The water's quite warm, so you can have it when I'm done. I won't be long, if you want to wait outside."

She didn't speak. She couldn't have, even if she wanted to. She threw open the door and rushed outside.

The icy air hit her in full force, sapping away the warmth she had managed to absorb from the few minutes she had spent inside. She gasped, and the air burned in her lungs, sending uncontrollable shivers down her spine. She staggered in the snow and came to a stop in the middle of the path, her breath clouding in the silent air.

Soujiro had been there, in the bathhouse. And she had walked in on him. How could she have known he would be in there? There was nothing she could have done. It was an accident, pure and simple, she told herself. It was no one's fault.

So then why did she feel so terribly guilty?

At least he hadn't been facing her. Tae's mind recalled the way his slim hands combed through his dark hair, letting loose drops of water roll down his neck. They joined the streaks of other droplets from the bucket as they raced across his back, the light from the lantern making them shimmer with gold -

_No._ Tae buried her face in the clean clothes in her arms. It felt wrong to remember him that way - _she _felt wrong. Like a voyeur. _It's improper to think of him like that, _she told herself sternly, _and anyway, I wasn't meant to see him that way, so it isn't as if Soujiro was acting sensuous for me. It isn't as if he wanted me to _see _him to begin with -_

But she _had_ seen him - her still-racing heart was a testament to that. And she knew she wouldn't be able to forget that sight of Soujiro any time soon.

Tae considered going back to her room, without waiting for Soujiro to finish. But she knew that sleep would be pointless; after what had just happened, it would be completely impossible to still her heart and mind enough to relax. And it would only postpone the next moment that she would see Soujiro face-to-face, and Tae knew from experience that the length of time would only make the meeting that much more difficult to endure. She didn't want this - this _misunderstanding_, yes, that's what it had been - to ruin their friendship, fragile as it was. Everything would be smoothed over faster if she just waited for Soujiro to arrive.

But waiting also made her feel jittery. There was something almost... intimate about the idea of taking a bath after him. Of course she would already be washed and clean before she got into the big tub, and that part didn't bother her, but to sit in _that_ water, after she had just seen him luxuriating in it -

Tae's cheeks heated in embarrassment, and she was grateful for the flakes of snow that were still gently drifting through the sky.

Too soon, it seemed, she heard the door to the bathhouse open behind her. Tae steeled herself before slowly turning to face Soujiro. His face was flushed with the humid warmth of his bath and his eyes were bright, but Tae could see nothing on his face that reflected the acute discomfort she felt at interrupting his privacy.

She spoke before he could get a chance. "Soujiro-san, if I had known you were inside, I wouldn't have intruded - "

"I know you wouldn't have, Tae-san," he interrupted her airily.

"But - " Anxiety forced her to avoid his shockingly blue eyes. He _had _to understand. What she had done was so awkward and unspeakably rude - how could he forgive her so easily? "But I still feel terrible," she insisted. "Do you usually come out at this hour to bathe? I'll - I'll stay in my room, I promise you won't see me again - "

"Don't worry, Tae-san," he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "It'll be alright."

The next thing Tae knew, Soujiro was striding past her toward the Akabeko. Tae whirled around to look at him, her mouth falling open in shock. Was that really _all_ he was going to say? But Soujiro, clearly oblivious to her amazement, walked up the steps and went inside. The soft _hsssh_ of the door sliding shut jerked Tae out of her stare. She blinked a few times, listening to the silence of the snow falling around her.

Well. She supposed that was it, then. She was grateful that Soujiro hadn't drawn out strange situation, but... Tae slowly turned back to look at the bathhouse, noting how deceptively innocent it seemed against the snowy sky. But... now, overwhelmingly, all she could feel was nervousness. It was that same uneasiness that forced her hands to shake and ruined her ability to think clearly when Soujiro was present, even though he was probably at this moment halfway to his room, thinking only of sleep.

Tae swallowed and held her head high. _Come on, Tae, _she told herself sternly. _A bath is a bath. Forget about what happened - Soujiro clearly has_. And she marched resolutely up to the bathhouse and shut the door firmly behind her.

She couldn't have known that Soujiro was standing on the other side of the Akabeko's back door, an enormous smile on his face.

* * *

The day, Soujiro admitted to himself as he sat across the table from Tae at Europe House, was turning out worse than he'd hoped.

It started out rocky, which was to be expected; Tae's smile had been merely tentative when she greeted him at breakfast that morning, no doubt because what had transpired during the night. He knew she wasn't sure if he had truly forgiven her intrusion or not, which was silly, really - how could he be angry when the potential debacle had turned out so perfectly? He couldn't have planned the scenario better. To feel her watching, to sense the glow in her ki like sparks to dry tinder, made his show of splashing around worthwhile.

She had watched him. She hadn't turned away, even when common decency demanded it. True, she felt conflicted about it now, but that emotion would soon pass.

Desire ran in her now, low and muted, but it was there. He knew it, but most of all, Tae knew it. And she would be forced to recognize, if she hadn't already, that the sensual pull toward him wouldn't fade away easily.

Throughout the day she had cast shy glances his way - questioning, feeling looks. After a while he pretended to notice and asked her about it. Her dark eyes flickered to him then away, as if she weren't comfortable with his proximity. "I was only wondering... what would be appropriate to wear tonight."

Soujiro had stared at her, briefly stunned by the question. He hadn't actually considered what type of clothing to wear, but it didn't surprise him that Tae would want to know; she was a girl, after all. He tapped his chin, recalling how Yahiko had gushed about what a upscale restaurant Europe House was. So then he shrugged and said only, "how about something nice, Tae-san?"

But the sad truth was that Soujiro didn't own any nice clothing. Tae's question made him consider his blue hakama and jacket, but when he laid them out on the floor that afternoon, it was painfully obvious that they wouldn't do. The sturdy cloth was faded and nearly ragged at the hems. The seam on the left shoulder had pulled at the stitching, showing the beginnings of a hole. Soujiro had frowned down at the clothing, noting how evident the toll of five years' worth of wandering was on the fabric. He hadn't remembered that it was so worn. He knew that he couldn't wear his old clothes to the restaurant, which just left him one option: his Western-style uniform.

Tae had blinked at him in surprise when she came out of her room. Her hands drifted nervously to her obi, a dark twilight-blue against the cascading red flower print on her kimono. "Oh," she said, "I didn't think - "

"You look good, Tae-san," he interrupted, sending her a reassuring smile. "Shall we go?"

A blush colored her cheeks and he saw her swallow her objections. "Of course," she said, and bent her head in acquiescence.

On the way out, Tae spoke to Tsubame about running the restaurant in her absence, pointedly ignoring Yahiko's slack-jawed stare. "You look as though you've never seen her dressed up before," Soujiro had remarked to him, and smirked.

"Yeah, well... I mean, she dresses all nice for the Bonenkai and New Year celebrations," Yahiko said, still blinking at Tae in surprise, "but she never does much with her hair. And I've _never _seen her wear makeup."

"It sounds like you know her better than I thought," Soujiro said smoothly. He smirked when Yahiko whirled around to give him a fierce glare.

"Hey," he began hotly. "That's _not_ what I - "

"Oi! Nizuno!" Urato had appeared in the kitchen doorway, his eyes nearly bulging in his head. "Hey, look at this! Tae-san's lookin' all fancy tonight!"

Nizuno hurried out and stopped as if he'd run into a wall. His face mirrored Urato's. "You clean up real nice, Tae-san!" He called.

"Yeah," Urato chimed in, "why don't you have a hot date every night so you can always look like this?"

Tae hadn't been able to fully hide the blush of discomfort that colored her cheeks. "I think I'm ready to go, Soujiro-san," she told him primly, turning her back resolutely on her gaping employees.

"Yes, Tae-san!" Soujiro smiled and trotted over to Tae's side.

Before they left, Yahiko had shouted, "hope you have a lot of fun at Europe House, you guys!"

Soujiro hadn't wondered at the comment at the time. But now, as he stared down at the crisp white linen tablecloth, Soujiro understood. _I might kill him, _he thought for what must have been the thirtieth time. _I really might kill him._

He had been optimistic, though, as they negotiated the snowy streets to the restaurant. "Don't worry about them, Tae-san," he had told her. He watched her curl her fingers into the sleeves of her coat, hiding them from the biting wind. "You know, I think that most of the things that Urato-san and Nizuno-san say are useless."

He hadn't meant the statement to be anything but fact, but she laughed. "I... I know. You're right, Soujiro-san."

He waited a few beats and then said casually, "but you do look nice, Tae-san."

She gave him a warm look. "Thank you."

The moment they walked into the Europe House, Soujiro paused. There was something... _odd_ about the restaurant. He took in the bold crimson paint on the walls, the polished wood paneling, and the small sparkling chandelier in the middle of the ceiling. The entire main room was filled with zashiki seating, unsurprisingly, and all the wait staff were smartly dressed young men. There was even a man waiting in a swallowtail coat, gazing at them expectantly from some sort of podium-desk five steps away. But Soujiro was certain, there was a strange feeling about the place. Something... unfamiliar. Quickly he cast out his awareness, searching for a hostile presence. He sensed nothing.

"Soujiro-san?" Tae peered at him, her dark eyes wide.

His smile snapped into place. "What a restaurant," he murmured, glancing sidelong at her. "To think that _Yahiko_ recommended it..."

She nodded, oblivious to his quick cover. "Yes."

"Two?" The man at the podium asked as they approached.

"Yes," Soujiro told him.

He took their coats - something which Tae fought at first before Soujiro laughed, knowing it would ease the situation - and then seated them at a small table near the middle of the room. Almost immediately a sandy-haired waiter descended upon them, quickly draping a napkin across each of their laps. "Good evening and welcome to Europe House," he said, inclining his head toward them respectfully. "Shall I get you tea? Coffee?"

His Japanese was much smoother than Soujiro had expected from so obvious a Westerner, and he nodded approvingly. "Tea, if you please."

He bowed to them again and strode away. As soon as he vanished from view, Tae leaned toward Soujiro from across the table. "This restaurant is very beautiful," she told him. "Everything seems to sparkle, almost."

"It certainly seems so, doesn't it, Tae-san?"

She nodded and looked at her menu, which had been sitting beside the plate. "I'm glad I decided to pay you in advance," she murmured to herself, her eyes combing over the prices. "I don't know if you would have been able to afford this."

The frank tone in her voice twisted his smile. "You wound me, Tae-san," he responded lightly, but she was right. He wondered how Yahiko had been able to afford eating here. Or... it actually seemed more likely that Yahiko had suggested the restaurant because he'd wanted to go himself. Or because he knew that Europe House was well outside what Soujiro could afford. Soujiro tapped his fingers against the tabletop, hiding a wry smirk. Yes, that seemed like something Yahiko would do.

Then Soujiro looked down at the menu. The names of the items hadn't been translated into Japanese, and he stared at the blocky, incomprehensible English letters. "Oh," he said.

Well, that was a problem. How was he supposed to know what he was ordering? Tae had taught him some English during inconsistent late-night meetings with Tsubame, but only how to _speak _it, not _read_ it.

_Yahiko, _Soujiro realized. Yahiko knew that Soujiro didn't know very much English, and yet he had urged him to come to Europe House, stressing how new it was and how glamorous and, he'd hinted, romantic.

_And I, the fool, took him at his word, not thinking he might have an ulterior motive, _Soujiro thought, staring at the menu. The first pricks of annoyance curled his lips in an absent smile._ No wonder his parting words sounded so smug. I might kill him for this._

That overwhelming sense of _oddness _washed over Soujiro again and he glanced up just as the waiter appeared with the tea. The waiter placed the teapot and cups in the middle of the table gracefully, then pulled out a small notebook from his pocket. "What can I get for you?" He asked, nodding to them politely.

The feeling grew, writhing inside Soujiro's gut, and he sat up straighter. Where was it coming from? He looked around quickly, but saw no one who was a threat; several tables were occupied by Westerners and their families, a few more by Japanese. He sensed no threat from any of them, but still he felt on edge. He put his hand on the table, near the short steak knife that was positioned to the right of his plate. It helped, marginally, that he knew there was a weapon nearby in case he needed one.

"Soujiro-san," Tae said, and he immediately looked up. Her eyes were kind, with the smallest hint of amusement. "Should I... would you prefer if I selected something for you?"

He smiled easily at her. "I defer to your wisdom, Tae-san."

He had no idea what she ordered, but it sounded very English and very foreign. He silently cursed Yahiko again as the waiter bowed and promised to bring some honeyed rolls while they waited.

"I... hope you don't mind," Tae said quietly, her eyes flickering up at him almost shyly.

He merely shrugged."It makes me realize that I still have a lot to learn about English. I will be more diligent in my studies, Tae-san, I promise."

"You're a fast learner, Soujiro-san," she soothed. "If you had studied the language only half as long as I have, you would have been able to order for yourself."

Yahiko, doubtless, knew that too. _I'll kill him, _Soujiro thought as he shrugged again. "That may be so," he said cheerfully, "but it's rather unfortunate that things ended up this way - I'm not doing a very good job taking you to dinner. It's starting to seem like you're the one in the masculine role, Tae-san, not me."

She tried not to smile, but the amusement was back in her eyes. "Sorry," she said, sounding only half repentant.

"Is that all you can say?" Soujiro teased, shifting in his chair. Despite his preference for the starched, collared Western shirts, he despised Western chairs. With their rigid back and tall, cold legs of polished wood, he would much rather be seated on the ground, where he could spring to action in an instant.

"Actually..." She turned her head away, hiding her expression from him. "I just had a thought: maybe you should let me choose a restaurant next time?" Her eyes darted to his and she spoke quickly. "Only because I've lived in Tokyo for most of my life, and I know it so well. And you seem so ill-at-ease."

Soujiro looked at her and, under the weight of his gaze, she again looked away.

_Ill-at-ease._ That was a strange description to use for him. He hadn't outwardly shown his unease since... Soujiro thought back, but he already knew when the last time was: against the Battousai.

But that was five years ago. His control had grown exponentially since then, and he knew that he hadn't given any overt sign of his concern at the sheer strangeness of this place -

_No, _Soujiro realized suddenly, _no, it isn't that Europe House is odd. It's not the atmosphere of the place or someone else - it's me. _

_ I'm the one who felt ill-at-ease all along._

_ And it's everything about this place that made me feel that way. _His eyes flickered around the enormous dining room, from the many Western guests to the ornately decorated walls, and even up to that ridiculous chandelier. _Everything, from the appearance and the waiters and the menu - I'm out of my depth._

_ It was a poor decision, coming here._

_ And what a fantastic display of denial, _he thought, _that I didn't realize it earlier._

Soujiro smoothed his waistcoat, using the action to suppress his irritation. Alright, he had been wrong, that was true. He should have selected a restaurant that would showcase his prowess, and not one simply for the reason that it would impress Tae. It was an amateur mistake, one he imagined that Shishio would have laughed at him for.

...but it was Yahiko who suggested that Soujiro take Tae to Europe House, Yahiko who jeeringly called at them to have a good time as they left the Akabeko. _When we get back, I'm going to find him, _Soujiro told himself calmly, staring hard at the snowy tablecloth_. And then, I'll kill him._

However, his grave lapse in judgment didn't mean that the entire evening was wasted. Soujiro glanced up at Tae, softening his eyes slightly. She was still looking away, her attention turned to somewhere to her right. "Tae-san," he called gently.

She didn't respond. "Tae-san?" He asked, a little louder, and this time she heard him. She started, turning around in her chair.

"Yes, Soujiro-san?"

"I was thinking that after dinner, if you wanted to, we might go to the river and - "

A sharp whisper caught Soujiro's ears and he paused, his head turning slightly toward the sound. Tae looked back over her shoulder to the right, staring at the table that Soujiro had torn her attention from before. At one of the larger tables nestled against the wall, a Western woman was hissing at the little girl seated beside her. The girl had her legs bent underneath her so she could reach the table - she must have been five or six, Soujiro figured - and she was attempting to carve into a cut of meat, the knife and fork gripped in her determined fists. The woman once again ducked her head to whisper in the girl's ear, no doubt to correct the girl on her table manners, and the child pressed her lips together in concentration.

Suddenly the high shriek of metal on porcelain cut the air, and the girl's mouth popped open in shock and horror. The woman grabbed the girl's chin and jerked it around to face her angrily. The other people at the table - older family members, Soujiro guessed - chuckled and sent mirroring looks of strained amusement to each other. A man who could only have been the girl's father was scowling at her over the wine glass in his hand.

This was familiar. Too familiar. Soujiro looked away and busied himself with peering into the teapot to see if it had steeped enough to pour. It was, so he slowly filled the cups that had been sitting empty between them.

Terrible families were universal, it seemed_. At least the girl's family actually took her out in public to eat with them_, Soujiro thought, lifting his cup to inhale the tea's soothing fragrance. _That's something_.

The nearby tables were steadfastly ignoring the scene, he saw, both in politeness and distain. He wished Tae would do the same, but she was watching unabashedly, eyes wide.

A waiter stopped by the girl's table and asked, in a kind but superficial tone, if he could bring them anything else. The girl's father shook her head, and filled his glass from the bottle on the table. The waiter nodded, without looking at the girl, and walked away.

The girl's mother jerked the utensils from the child's hands and pushed the dinner plate out of reach, shaking her daughter's shoulder angrily. "This is horrible, Soujiro-san," Tae murmured as the girl slumped in her chair, her head drooping until it hung on her chest. She nodded at whatever her mother was whispering to her until the woman finally turned away, her face perfectly composed.

Soujiro, too, looked away. He studied the pale red print of flowers on the cream-colored tea cup, and traced the rim of gold paint with his eyes.

"I don't know why anyone would treat a little girl like this," Tae said softly, "and in a restaurant, too, in front of all these observers."

He swallowed. He worked his jaw for a few moments, not entirely sure what he would say when he spoke. What came out was a safe, "don't watch, Tae-san."

She glanced at him quickly. "But how can I? This is..." She turned away again. "...this is so sad."

_Sad_. Soujiro pushed down the bitter laughter that threatened to bubble up from the base of his throat. _Sad indeed_. "Why?" He asked in an even voice. "Her situation is not entirely unique, Tae-san."

"Situation?" She echoed, taken aback. "This seems more than a 'situation' - "

"Does it? We do not know enough to judge them," he said blandly and took a sip of the tea. It was perfect - hot but not burning, and steeped enough that each flavor was present. He smiled slightly.

Tae said nothing, but he could feel the confusion and disappointment pulsing from within her. She turned back to look at the table. Soujiro looked away, searching for their sandy-haired waiter, but of course he wasn't in sight. He sighed, knowing things were inevitable now, so he slowly followed Tae's gaze to the little girl's table once again.

She was leaning forward in her chair and reaching for her glass of water, which had been pushed to the middle of the table next to her plate. She shot an anxious look to her mother and father, but both were involved in a conversation with the other people at the table and didn't seem to notice. Her hand gripped the linen tablecloth as she stretched out her arm, her stubby fingers just grazing the long stem of the glass.

Soujiro sensed it before it happened - a quick blink, the spike of emotions from pensive to furious. The mother whipped around, snapping a word of command. The girl jumped and twisted away, as if to avoid a blow, and lost her balance. She tumbled to the floor, tugging the tablecloth with her. Glasses toppled over, knives clattered to the floor, and food splattered off the plates. Tae gasped along with everyone else, and Soujiro sighed. He knew what was coming.

"Don't look, Tae-san," he told her again. "It will be worse for the girl if you do."

She blinked at him in surprise but turned back to look anyway. Everyone at the ruined table wore mirroring faces of frozen shock, except for the father. His eyes darted around the room, taking in all the eyes that were staring at the small catastrophe. His gaze met Tae's last, and that seemed to be the final straw. He rose to his feet and stalked to his daughter. He snatched her elbow, which Soujiro noticed she had been cradling to her chest, and hauled her to her feet. She cried out and the man shook her once, his voice a low, rapid stream of English. Then he marched her away from the table and through the restaurant, opening and slamming the front doors behind them.

Tae was sitting with her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide. As a group of waiters hurried to the ruined table to offer assistance, Soujiro turned away. He sipped his tea again, and saw their sandy-haired waiter _finally_ appear between the other tables, a bowl of rounded, brown bread rolls in his hands. He set the bowl down and promised that their meal would be done soon, never once glancing at the flurry of activity on the other side of the room. He bowed and then left, leaving Soujiro to wonder what on earth he was going to do now.

The entire dinner was turning out to be an utter nightmare. He couldn't have blamed Tae at all if she never wished to dine out with him again. So much for his romantic attempt to gain her affection. He wondered if Shishio had ever had such atrocious luck while trying to win Yumi. Or if the Battousai, however he had done it, had ever encountered eerie parallels to his past while wooing Kaoru -

_No,_ he told himself sternly, _don't think about the Battousai right now._

Clearly he had underestimated how difficult it would be to create an amorous situation for Tae. He'd have to rethink his strategy... again. Soujiro picked up a roll idly, the hard shell warm against his fingers. _The scene in the bath house this morning went well, _he thought clinically. _Perhaps more incidents of that nature to soften her resolve? I may be attempting too much by hoping for her to love me. Perhaps her attraction and lust alone would be enough to secure her loyalty._

The girl's father walked back to the table, which now had been set with a new linen cloth and replacement table settings, and wordlessly sat down in his chair. After a moment he cleared his throat and said something in a low voice. The other members at the table laughed, and the conversation resumed. None of them so much as glanced at the little girl's empty seat, and Soujiro's eyes narrowed slightly.

Tae was quick to notice as well. "Where did the girl go?" she asked, staring at the father as he accepted a clean wineglass from one of the attending waiters. "Did he - did he leave her outside?" She looked wildly toward the main entrance of the restaurant.

"It looks like it," Soujiro said calmly, cupping the roll between his hands. He hadn't realized his fingers had been cold, but the warmth from the bread sinking into his skin was comforting. He had felt this sensation many times over the years, whether from a teacup at the top of a mountain, or the chipped bowl that he used to eat his small serving of rice as he crouched in the shadow of the storehouse when he was small. The feeling of being cold and then consoled by something so simple, so vital as food - it still stunned him, a little, each time.

"Soujiro-san."

He glanced up. Tae was looking at the roll in his hands. "Take that with you," she said, placing her napkin on the table. "We're leaving."

"We are?" He asked in surprise as she stood, brushing out the wrinkles in her red kimono. She nodded and he shrugged, getting to his feet. He dropped a few coins on the table - to pay for the tea and the roll, anyway - then followed Tae through the restaurant. The host at the podium bowed politely to them and helped them into their coats. They thanked him and left.

Outside, the snow was still falling but heavier, the wind stirring it up in a frenzy. It was not a blizzard, not yet, but the flying snowflakes made visibility more than a few steps ahead difficult. Tae trailed along the side of the building, protected from most of the weather by the overhanging eaves, and Soujiro followed slowly behind her.

She was obviously looking for the little girl, but... why?

Tae gasped and hurried to the small space between the edge of the restaurant and the next building - a shop of Western books, if Soujiro remembered correctly - and knelt down before a small huddled, shivering shape.

"Are you alright?" Tae asked in English, her voice gentle. Soujiro thrust out the bread, knowing this was why Tae had wanted him to bring it along, but Tae snatched it from his hand. She combed her fingers through the girl's brown curls, disregarding the start at her touch, and brushed the snowflakes from her shoulders. "Are you alright?" She asked again, softer than before.

The girl nodded - a lie, Soujiro knew, that had been drilled into her head by her parents. It was the same response he had been instructed to give, when he was younger.

"I saw that you didn't eat very much," Tae murmured. She took one of the girl's hands - again ignoring the flinch - and placed the roll into it. "This is for you."

For a few moments the girl waited, as if she expected the gift to be snatched away again. Then her slim little fingers closed around the roll and she pressed it against her chest, cradling the warmth against her.

Soujiro began to turn away, knowing their charity work was done, but Tae didn't move. She slid her hand against the girl's pale cheek. "She's so cold," she told Soujiro in Japanese. "Her father brought her out here without her coat."

"It must have slipped his mind," he responded quietly. It may have even been true, but Soujiro doubted it.

"Here." Tae shrugged out of her coat. She once again brushed the snow off the girl's shoulders before draping the clothing around her tiny, shaking form. "This will keep you warm."

Soujiro shook his head, though he knew that Tae couldn't see it. "They will be angry when they see her like that," he warned. "They will think she begged the kindness of strangers." _Which is true, _he added silently.

"So?"

"They will take the coat away from her."

"Then at least she'll be warm until then," Tae replied in an unconcerned voice. She bent her head to look into the girl's face, switching easily back into English. "Do you feel better?"

The girl nodded a little.

Tae pointed to the roll. "You should eat it," she said, "before it gets cold."

She jerked, as if she had forgotten the bread was there, and quickly bit into it. Tae smiled and curved an arm around the little girl, pulling her close. The child froze for a moment before relaxing against Tae's side. "You'll be alright," Tae told her softly. "I know you'll be alright."

The girl spoke for the first time, mumbling something they couldn't hear. "What?" Tae asked, leaning her head down to listen. The girl swallowed and when she spoke again, they both could understand.

"Thank you."

Soujiro stared at the girl, stunned at the change that had come over her. She was smiling a little now, gazing at Tae as she hungrily tore into the bread. Tae was smiling back, her hand rubbing a soothing arch across the girl's shoulders. It was something like a miracle, but Soujiro didn't believe in miracles.

It was impossible not to see himself in that girl. He was the one who had been beaten, who had taken the blame for everyone's mistakes, who had shouldered the work as his uncle's family had lived in peace. He had suffered, he had starved, and he had been made to feel as if he were stupid and useless. And then a man came who had challenged him, told him about the weak and the strong, and changed his life forever.

He had never once doubted Shishio's words as truth, absolute truth, until that day five years ago. And then, in his battle with the Battousai, he had felt his world start to crumble. _Was_ there an alternate path his life could have taken? What would he be like now, had the Battousai come to save him, and not Shishio?

But now, as he watched Tae give the little girl a quick hug, he wondered. What if neither Shishio or the Battousai came at all - what if it was Tae who had come, stopping by his uncle's farm on her way to Tokyo? What would she have said if she had seen him, bruised and bleeding, with a smile stretched across his face that was desperately pretended? Would she have given him food, given him her coat, and embraced him, just as she was that little girl?

He knew that she would.

And he had longed for that; for just once, in all his childhood, to be touched with a gentle hand. To be smiled at by her kind smile, to be told that everything would be alright - he had always, in the deepest part of his heart, wished for that. From someone. From anyone.

From her.

Soujiro took a slow, trembling breath. Suddenly he wanted, _wished_ it could have been her, more than anything else in the world. If Tae had come to him then, his life would have been different. How could it be otherwise, when everything about her was so tender and loving, so sweet and pure? She could have changed him. She could have given him peace.

She could have been the one to give him hope.

Through blurring eyes, he watched as Tae slowly stood and turned. She paused, and he saw her expression change. She stared at him, and the concern on her face nearly shattered his heart. "Soujiro-san...?"

A hot tear coursed down his cheek. He smiled and held out his hand. "Let's go, Tae-san," he said, his voice as bright and false as it had ever been back then.

She hesitated, and her lips curved in a slight, worried smile. She slipped her hand in his. "Let's."

* * *

**A/N: I've had a lot of questions about the historical facts involved in this story, so I thought I'd start a little note section at the end of each chapter. Not only will I shower you with random factual tidbits, but also with random other RuroKen stuff I've found in my research!  
**

**-Tae's red flowered kimono: The blossom is actually a camellia (also known as _tsubaki_ in Japanese), a winter flower. But Soujiro never bothered to learn much about plants, so of course he wouldn't be able to identify it.  
**

**-Tae wearing makeup: In the manga, in the character spotlight for Tae, Watsuki stated that he chose not to have Tae wear makeup because it might make her seem too much like Megumi. Which I always thought was odd - Megumi and Tae aren't alike at _all_. But I decided that Tae, who usually wouldn't have much use for makeup, would totally put some on to try and impress Sou. :3  
**

**-Europe House: At this point in Japan's history, Western culture is like oil to Japan's water - they aren't mixing. But because of the large influx of Westerners into the country - especially in Tokyo, the new capital and hub of growing Western ideas - restaurants and hotels built specifically for Europeans popped up everywhere. Europe House basically represents one of these, which makes the fact that Soujiro took Tae there pretty daring on his part.  
**

**Also, you guys may or may not have heard, but they've announced the casting choices for the live action RuroKen films that are going to deal with the Kyoto arc - including the actors for Aoshi, Misao, Shishio and Soujiro! :D More info on my profile page, if you're interested.**

**Thank you so much for reading! I'm so grateful for everyone who reads and reviews - it definitely keeps my muse alive. So if you liked it, let me know!**


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